Silk Road Intl Arts Festival draws attention in Xi'an

The 7th Silk Road International Arts Festival kicked off in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Dec 1, and will run until Dec 6.

The event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government, and organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

During the six-day event, more than 40 activities will be held both online and offline, including opening and closing ceremonies, cultural performances, art exhibitions, and art forums.

At the opening ceremony, Zhang Xu, vice-minister of culture and tourism, Andrei Denisov, Russian ambassador to China, and Moin ul Haque, Pakistan's ambassador to China, gave speeches via video link.

As an important part of the event, the Silk Road International Art Exhibition also opened that day at the Shaanxi Library.

Intangible cultural heritage works and contemporary paintings, sculptures and other works from 14 countries are on display, including China, the United States, Jordan, Thailand and Kenya, allowing the audience to be immersed in history and culture while viewing the artworks.

Launched in 2014, the Silk Road International Art Festival has become an important platform for cultural exchange between China and other countries, as well as an important channel for Shaanxi to contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.