Guizhou artist receives Bulgaria's highest award

Yuan Xikun (L), famous artist and sculptor, is awarded the Golden Laurel Branch by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his contribution to the friendship between China and Bulgaria. [Photo/todayguizhou.com]

Yuan Xikun, a famous painter and sculptor whose ancestral home is in Southwest China's Guizhou province, recently received the Golden Laurel Branch award from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

The award is the highest award given to foreign citizens by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in honor of their contribution to the development of bilateral relations, assistance to international cooperation, as well as the promotion of Bulgarian culture, spirit, science, and economy.

Grigor Porozhanov, ambassador of the Bulgaria embassy to China, acknowledged Yuan's contribution to the cultural exchanges between Bulgaria and China, which allows Chinese people to learn more about Bulgaria's art and history.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bulgaria, while Yuan has a tight bond with Bulgaria.

In 1997, Yuan co-established Beijing Jintai Art Museum, which is the largest folk art museum in China. Through cooperation with the Bulgarian embassy in China, the museum has successfully hosted numerous high-level cultural exchanges such as painting exhibitions, concerts, and national day receptions.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bulgaria in 2009, Yuan attend the unveiling ceremony of the sculpture of famous Bulgarian poet Hristo Botev, which was created by Yuan himself, in Botev's hometown of Kalofer, affirming the friendship between China and Bulgaria.