The Kunstmuseum Bonn, or Bonn Museum of Modern Art, hosts some of the most important collections of German art. (FRANCESCO CAROVILLANO / GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOAR)
Germany is preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's (1770-1827) birth.
The country's tourism board hosted the launching ceremony for the commemorative events in mid-January in Beijing. It also released details about activities that'll run until Dec 17, the 250th anniversary of the composer's baptism.
The government has spent about 40 million euros (US$44.4 million) on the national celebrations.
Art, culture and architecture are major attractions for people who visit Germany
Li Zhaohui, the head of the German National Tourist Board's Beijing office
"Art, culture and architecture are major attractions for people who visit Germany," says the head of the German National Tourist Board's Beijing office, Li Zhaohui.
"I'm confident that the 2020 Beethoven Year will draw more tourists to the country, with colorful events like concerts, exhibitions and festivals."
Germany has one of the highest theater densities in the world, with over 500 theaters and 80 opera houses. It's also home to 46 UNESCO Word Heritage sites and over 6,750 museums.
About 12 percent of the nearly 184 million tourists who traveled to Europe for its culture in 2018 visited Germany, official data show. Chinese registered over 2.5 million overnight stays in the country between January and October of last year.
"Music has no boundaries. As one of the composers who is most frequently played worldwide, Beethoven is a cultural ambassador who belongs not only to Germany but also to the whole world," says Ralf Birkner, managing director of the Beethoven Jubilaeums Gesellschaft mbH(Beethoven Anniversary Society).The government founded the society to coordinate the 2020 celebrations.
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf hosts one of the country's over 80 opera houses. (PHOTO / JENS)
"Beethoven's great works have opened doors to our lives," Birkner says.
"And his utopian thought and liberal spirit have inspired us to understand the world deeply. We hope that people from all over the world can understand him from different perspectives via the events of the jubilee."
Bonn contains many cultural and scenic offerings. The city hosts the Beethoven-Haus (Beethoven House) where he was born. It's one of the world's most-visited music museums.
The Kunstmuseum Bonn, or Bonn Museum of Modern Art, hosts some of the most important collections of German art. (FRANCESCO CAROVILLANO / GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOAR)
It was recently renovated to present new regular exhibitions and a yearlong special display for 2020.
Its collections include manuscripts, letters, pictures, musical instruments, furniture and everyday items that belonged to the maestro. Most displays have been digitized and can be viewed online.
Audiences can hop aboard a river cruise to retrace Beethoven's voyage from Bonn to Vienna. It features on-board music programs and 13 stops in such destinations as Frankfurt.
ALSO READ: Year of playing Beethoven
A cruise in early May will take passengers to the annual Rhein in Flames fireworks show along the Rhine River. Beethoven's music will play as the pyrotechnics shine over the waterway and ancient villages.
Bonn and Vienna will host open-air orchestra concerts on May 15.
School children sing Ode to Joy at the Beijing event. (CHINA DAILY / GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD)
On Aug 8, Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun's Beethoven-inspired work, The Nine Project, will premiere in Bonn. Tan will conduct the German National Youth Orchestra and the World Youth Choir to perform the work that inspired him: Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
The Bonn Beethovenfest 2020 will invite orchestras from Germany and abroad to perform the virtuoso's compositions, including all nine of his symphonies, between March and September.
"Bonn will hold live concerts of Beethoven's works throughout the year," Birkner says.
"It's also rare that audiences will be able to enjoy his works that are less frequently played."
Such neighboring cities as Leipzig and Dresden will also host orchestra performances of Beethoven's music.
A special project aspires to "complete" the maestro's 10th and final symphony, which exists only as fragmented drafts, using artificial intelligence and an algorithm that analyzes all of his works, Birkner says.
The GNTB is developing a WeChat mini-program to introduce information like travel tips to Chinese travelers, Li says.
READ MORE: Prelude to a year of Beethoven
As for the impact of the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, the GNTB authorities say it's estimated that it may cause a decrease of inbound visits to Germany and they're adjusting their marketing strategies in China to tackle the issue.
