"While developing the marine economy, we have been thinking about the development of ocean culture," she says.

"We want to use this program to guide and urge people in Shenzhen to care for the ocean and to be inspired by it in their daily lives, while encouraging poetry lovers from different cities, ages and professions to take part in our activities."

In addition to the competition, poem-reading events are going to take place in different cities around the country. In Shenzhen, people can read the submitted works on buses and subways, "on their way to work or to the airport, receiving silent greetings from poems", Zhang says.

"It's how communication is built."

They are also planning an ocean poetry forum in Yantian and an ocean poetry concert by the sea, which "hopefully can be held in September", Zhang says.