The 15th Haitang Yaji (Crabapple Blossom gathering or Blossoms of Wisdom gathering), brought together more than 100 poets, scholars and artists in Bacheng, a small water town on the outskirts of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, for a dialogue between northern and southern literary traditions.

The event marked a historic meeting between the Haitang Yaji, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) tradition originating from Beijing's Prince Kung's Mansion, and the Yushan Yaji, or Jade Mountain Gathering, a series of literary salons held in Bacheng during the late Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

The gathering was jointly organized by Prince Kung's Palace Museum, the publicity department of Kunshan, and the Chinese Poetry Society.

"The Haitang Yaji has served as a high-end cultural brand for poetry exchange," says Lu Wenjie, deputy director of Prince Kung's Palace Museum.

"By bringing it to Bacheng, the home of Kunqu, we are exploring new possibilities while staying true to tradition."

Lin Feng, executive vice-president of the Chinese Poetry Society, calls Haitang Yaji "a cultural calling card for China's poetry circles". The north-south meeting brings poetry and Kunqu together and will help promote the transmission of poetic culture, he says.

The gathering featured poets and scholars composing verses following the traditional practice of fenyun fushi — writing based on randomly assigned rhyming schemes. Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera were staged in alternating performances. A calligraphy area was available for participants to transform their poems into brush-written scrolls.

The organizers also held a public lecture on classical poetry for local residents and students from nearby schools, aiming to bring poetry culture to younger audiences.

The Haitang Yaji has a long lineage. During the late Qing Dynasty, Prince Kung invited scholars to compose poetry under the crabapple trees of his Beijing mansion. When Fu Jen Catholic University occupied the mansion (1937-52), its chancellor, Chen Yuan, revived the tradition, attracting a distinguished circle of scholars.

In 2011, at the urging of renowned scholar Zhou Ruchang, Prince Kung's Palace Museum revived the gathering. Over 15 sessions, it has developed into a model integrating poetry composition, intangible cultural heritage performances, archival exhibitions, and academic forums. From its Beijing origins, it has traveled to Tianjin, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, and now Kunshan.

The Yushan Yaji, considered the largest and most influential literati gathering of the late Yuan Dynasty, was centered on poetry, calligraphy, painting, and spontaneous composition. It also gave birth to Kunshan Qiang, the precursor to Kunqu.

The meeting of the two gatherings across centuries stands as a vivid testament to the enduring nature of Chinese cultural tradition, Lu says.