The "EU-China Youth Music & Art Festival 2019" opened on Saturday night in Zandhoven, a small town in north Belgium. Nearly 100 young people and folk artists from Belgium and China gathered for musical performances.

Artists using musical instruments such as piano, saxophone, flute and guzheng shared a stage to hold the "New Silk Road" concert which attracted people from Europe and China.

Belgian composer Han Flintrop worked out the music piece "The New Silk Road" especially for the concert.

The performance of 25 teenagers from the "Art Star" artistic troupe in Nanning, the Guangxi province in southwest China, together with teachers and students of the Municipal Academy of Music, Word and Dance of Lier (SAMWD Lier), brought the concert to a climax.

The music "New Silk Road" is divided into eight chapters. Each one uses different music elements along the Silk Road to tell the stories of Chinese and European civilizations learning from each other.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming said in his opening address that the Belt and Road Initiative has closely connected China with Belgium.

The arts festival provided an opportunity for European audience to learn more about Chinese traditional culture, such as overseas Chinese living in Belgium presented calligraphy and Chinese tea ceremonies.

One of the organizers, overseas Chinese Ying Hong who lives in Belgium, said: "Music has crossed the mountains and waters, and language barriers. I believe that the EU-China Youth Music & Art Festival will further promote the relations between China and Europe".

The closing ceremony will be held in Lier, Belgium, on Sunday evening.