The picturesque city of Paphos on the western coast of Cyprus officially kicked off its one-year journey as southern European Capital of Culture on Saturday night.

Thousands of people gathered in the central square of the city to listen to inaugural speeches and watch dancing and singing performances, despite temperature dipping close to freezing point in perhaps the coldest day of this winter.

Paphos in the south Europe and the Danish city of Aarhus in the north will get the attention for cultural events in the European Union throughout 2017.

Paphos, a city with a population of 33,000, beat the capital Nicosia in a contest for the title of European Capital of Culture for this year, after presenting a rich file based on its historical heritage going back to the 12th century BC.

Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos said in an address to the crowd that throughout the year, the city will organize events related to visual arts, music, theater, dance, photography, cinema, architecture, gastronomy and literature.

Paphos is amphitheatrically built on the lower part of the slopes of a 600-meter hill and is one of the main tourism destinations in Cyprus, attracting about 33 percent of visitors.

Mayor Phaedonos said that the city counts on its role as European Capital of Culture to enrich tourist product and attract more visitors.

source: Xinhua