Peter Tschentscher, mayor of Hamburg delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 7th China Time in Hamburg, northern Germany, on Aug. 31, 2018. The 7th China Time opened on Friday evening in the northern German harbor city of Hamburg, aiming to boost friendship and mutual understanding between Hamburg and China. (Xinhua/Zhu Sheng)

HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The 7th China Time opened on Friday evening in the northern German harbor city of Hamburg, aiming to boost friendship and mutual understanding between Hamburg and China.

According to the mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher, this year's event will bring local people insights into the life, economy, language and culture in China.

China Time was launched in 2006 by the Hamburg Senate and has since been successfully held six times. In the meantime, it has become an important event that promotes ties between China and Hamburg, according to officials.

The event takes place every two years. Under the motto of "pulse of the city", this year's event will run until Sep. 23.

The main theme of this year will be digitization and urban development. More than 150 side events concerning China will be held, including concerts, lectures, exhibitions, seminars, seminars, films and so on.