Officials of the Taicang government and the CEO & chairman of German Center Shanghai at the 17th Taicang Beer Festival on Sept 8. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

The 17th Taicang Beer Festival was held at Tianjing Lake in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province from Sept 8 to 10.

At the opening ceremony, Party chief of Taicang, Wang Xiangyuan, said Taicang is currently home to 449 German companies, and the beer festival, which has been held for 17 consecutive years, has become a ritual in Sino-German cultural exchanges. 

Christian Sommer, CEO & chairman of German Center Shanghai, said at the ceremony that Taicang is home to small and medium-sized German enterprises, and that the beer festival plays an important part in Sino-German cooperation. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, and Taicang is expected to use this occasion to expand cooperation with Germany in fields such as education and environmental protection.

A band performs at the beer festival in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Flags are waved at the beer festival in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]