The Direct Flight beween Chongqing and Budapest to Launch this December

Chongqing - The Donation Ceremony of the Statue of Hungarian poet Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia was held in Chongqing's E'ling park on Nov.29. At the ceremony, Hainan Airlines announced that the direct flight between Chongqing and Budapest would be launched on Dec.27, which is the first direct flight from Chongqing to Central and Eastern Europe. Diplomats from foreign Consulate Generals in Chongqing as well as officials from government agencies attended the ceremony to witness the significant moment.

The Donation Ceremony of the Statue of Hungarian poet Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia.

In the opening speech of the ceremony, Mr. Szőcs Géza, Chief Counselor to the Prime Minister, delivered a touching speech. “We are honored to have Hungarian poets’ statue erected at a place with such a long literati tradition.” Said Mr. Géza. He continued, “Through this statue, the city of Chongqing has not only entered the life of Hungarian literature but the extended space of the Hungarian nation’s self.” He also believed that the launch of the direct flight between Chongqing and Budapest will further enhance the relationship among people of two sides.

The ceremony guests launched the direct flight between Chongqing and Budapest.

Ms. Zhang Ling, vice chairman of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference described the profound meaning of the statue and significance of the direct flight in her speech. According to her, the statue of Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia will serve as a bridge for the people of Chongqing to learn more about Hungary's culture and history. The launch of the direct flight between Chongqing and Budapest bridges the physical worlds of the two people. It will facilitate the business exchanges and play an important role in promoting friendly cooperation between China and Hungary under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia is consist of the top and lower parts. The top half, the part of the person image, is made by a Hungarian artist; The lower half, the statue column, is made by a Chinese artist. Besides the 2-meter-high bronze statue, there is a love lock wall to commemorate the love story between Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia. Twelve couples were also invited to wear the lock on the wall during the ceremony.

The donation ceremony of the statue of Petőfi Sándor and his wife Szendrey Júlia in E'ling park, Chongqing.

12 couples were also invited to wear the lock on the wall during the ceremony.

According to Hainan Airlines, the direct route from Chongqing to Budapest will be operated by Boeing 787-9 with two round-trip flights every Monday and Friday. It will depart from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at 01:40 Beijing time and arrive at Budapest Airport at 05:30 local time. The return trip will take off from Budapest airport at 12:40 local time and arrive at Chongqing Jangbei International Airport at 05:00 Bejing time. The flight time will be about 10 hours.