As a creation of human ingenuity inspired by natural wonders, poetry also has this great uniting power, he says.

"It speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of works into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace," he says.

Zhang says, "Crossing different cities, regions, professions and ages, we hope to use poems about the 'inclusive ocean' that listens to our hearts to give people strength to face up to the difficult time."

On June 8, World Oceans Day, The Poem for You, a poetry-sharing and culture exchange internet platform, launched an online submission for the Shenzhen Ocean Poetry Season, calling for people to write poems about oceans. Via an online post office, writers can also share their poems with friends.

In one month, the platform received more than 12,000 poems created by people from all walks of life around the country, including a 2-year-old, a sailor, farmers, a teacher of Chinese language, housewives, lawyers, patients with rare diseases, and children living in the mountains who have never seen the sea. On July 11, China National Maritime Day, it released a list of 16 winners.

Born in the coastal city of Shanwei, Guangdong province, 31-year-old Lin Guopeng, working in the new media industry, won first prize with his poem, Haibian Xushuci (A Narration by the Sea).