"Love thy neighbor," Shenzhen residents were told Saturday morning.

The city's first neighbor festival, which opened that day, is aimed at helping locals build closer ties with their neighbors and making Shenzhen a better place to live in.

Eighteen members of the Meilin Senior Citizens' Activity Center gave a passionate waist-drum performance in the Meilinyicun housing estate to launch the festival Saturday morning.

Wang Jingsheng, Shenzhen's publicity chief who lives in Meilinyicun, announced the opening of the event at the community plaza Saturday. "My good neighbors, enjoy the neighbor festival!" he said.

"Let love and care among neighbors penetrate the walls of steel and cement," Vice Mayor Liang Daoxing, who was also present, told the audience.

The festival, which will continue until March 5, encourages various communities to share Spring Festival gifts among neighbors, register on an online forum, come up with their own neighborly agreements promoting help for others, and organize events like seminars, fun activities, hobby clubs and donation centers.

Some residents of Meilinyicun read out a pledge at the launch ceremony. It said: "We will greet our neighbors with a smile and treat them with honest and respect; we will visit them more often and extend a helping hand when needed; we will treasure our living environment and parti-cipate in public welfare events; we will cultivate civilized hobbies and share a colorful life."

Then, members of the city's calligraphers' association offered to create Spring Festival scrolls for the residents attending the ceremony. Inspired, many people asked for more scrolls to take back to their neighbors.

"I waited 15 more minutes so that I can take back the scrolls as a small gift for neighbors," said Xu Jianying, who lives in the Meilin'ercun housing estate. "The neighbor festival is a great idea. I miss the close bond between neighbors in my hometown who shared a big courtyard a long time ago."

The management of Meilinyicun also organized a gift exchange area for the neighbors where they could exchange goods. Zhou Linqiao, a 7-year-old girl, swapped her doll for a flower basket. Sun Siwan, a schoolgirl, brought her skating shoes. "I don't want to sell it for money but hope the shoes can go to a kid who loves roller-skating, since I've outgrown them," she said.

Editor: Yan