(Notice on Printing and Distribution of the Charter of Art Festival of China of the Ministry of Culture

We hereby notice that: The Art Festival of China, the national festival of China with Comrade Deng Xiaoping inscribing the name for it, has been held for four times, and the fifth shall be held this year. The Art Festival has made positive effects in stimulating the development and prosperity of the course of socialist art, satisfying the people's demand for cultural life, promote the material and ethical progress, and accelerating the development in all courses of culture, science and technology, economy and trade, tourism, etc., of the regions holding the festival. In order to hold the festival better and better, and to make it regular and systematic, we hereby print and distribute the Charter of Art Festival of Chinato you for your compliance

May 12, 1997.)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 The Art Festival of China is a national art festival sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.

Article 2 The objective of the Art Festival of China is: by carrying out the art's direction of serving the people and serving socialism and policy of letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend set by the Party, to collect elaborate works of art, carry forward the Chinese national culture, inspire the spirit of the Chinese nation, have a focused review of the outcome of the course of art during a period, promote the development and prosperity of the course of socialist art, satisfy the people's demand for cultural life, improve socialist material and ethic civilization, accelerate the development of the courses of science and technology, economy and trade, tourism of the region where the festival is held, carry out foreign cultural exchanges, and enhance the position and influence of Chinese art in international community.

Article 3 The Art Festival of China shall be held once every three years. The place to hold each art festival shall be subject to the conditions of each bidding place.

Article 4 Each art festival may vary in emphasis in content and form of art (or in subject matter and style) to highlight its theme and features.

Chapter II Organization

Article 5 The Art Festival of China has Honorary Chairman, Chairman, vice-chairmen, and consultants in addition subject to conditions. The Honorable Chairman and Chairman shall be assumed by the leaders of the Party or the State, and the vice-chairmen shall be assumed by the major leaders of the Ministry of Culture and the region holding the festival.

Article 6 The organizing committee of the Art Festival of China shall be the leading organization for holding the Festival. The director and vice-directors of the organizing committee shall be assumed by the Party and government leaders of the Ministry of Culture and the place holding the Festival. Members shall be assumed by leaders of relevant ministries or the CPC central committee, the State Council, leaders of relevant departments of the Ministry of Culture, and relevant leaders of the place holding the Festival.

Article 7 The Organizing Committee of the Art Festival ofChinahas Secretary-General, Vice-Secretary-General, which shall be assumed by relevant leaders of the Ministry of Culture and the place holding the Festival.

Article 8 Under the Organizing Committee of the Art Festival of China, there are working organizations like Office, Program Science Department, Performance and Exhibition Department, Mass Culture Department, Propaganda and Mobilization Department, Foreign Liaison Department, Reception Department, and Finance and Fund Department. During the preparation period of the Art Festival ofChina, the Ministry of Culture and the place holding the Festival may set up preparation groups separately.

Article 9 An Office for the Art Festival of China shall be set as a standing working organ during the preparation period. The work of the Office shall be undertaken by the Art Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, in charge of the specific work in preparation and organization of the Art Festival ofChina.

Chapter III  Emblem and Anthem of the Festival

Article 10 The Art Festival of China has a permanent emblem, which is round in shape, with a transformed ancient Chinese characterYi(艺) (meaning art) in the center, surrounded by the Chinese and English inscriptions of the Art Festival of China. The design in the center resembles both a person holding a bunch of flowers in hand and a full-winged bird to fly, implying that the art of China will fly to a higher level.

Article 11 The Art Festival of China has its Anthem, Mascot and Posters.

Article 12 The copyright of the emblem, anthem, mascot, and posters belongs to the Organizing Committee of the Art Festival of China.

Chapter IV Activities and Methods of Selecting Programs (Plays)

Article 13 The content of the Art Festival of China includes stage performance, exhibition of culture and art, and mass cultural activities, integrated with the activities of economy and trade, science and technology, tourism where the Festival is held, to promote the economic and cultural development of the place where the Festival is held.

Article 14 The program participating in the Art Festival of China shall include traditional operas, dramas, operas, pantomimes, music, dances, acrobatics, folk arts, puppet shows, shadow plays and comprehensive entertainment parties.

Article 15 Fine art exhibitions and other culture and art and folk-custom exhibitions constitute an important part of the Art Festival of China.

Article 16 Some famous art groups home or abroad are invited to perform and some celebrities shall are invited as guests to participate in the activities during each of the Festival.

Article 17 Cultural administrations of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities shall recommend excellent programs to the Ministry of Culture, which then select excellent programs within the state to participate in the Festival.

Article 18 Each of the Art Festival of China shall organize appropriate mass cultural activities with the place holding the Festival taking a leading part.

Article 19 The place holding the Art Festival of China shall be responsible for the organization and implementation of activities for economy and trade, science and technology, tourism during the Festival under the general planning of the Organizing Committee.

Chapter V Bidding Methods

Article 20 The place and unit to hold the Art Festival of China shall be verified through bidding. Each of the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and cities specially designated in state plan and provincial capital cities can bid for the Festival. The bidding of planned separate cities and provincial capital cities shall be approved by the people's governments of provincial level.

Article 21 Bidding time: In general, the report of bidding for the next Festival shall be submitted to the Ministry of Culture by the cultural administrations (approved by the people's governments) or the people's governments during the preparation of the current Art Festival of China. The time and place for holding the next Festival shall be announced at the conclusion of the current Festival after necessary procedures.

Article 22 Content of bidding:

1. Features of the art resources of the place holding the Festival

2. Conditions of performance and exhibition sites, and their degree of satisfaction of the Art Festival of China

3. Reception capacity

4. Transportation and telecommunication conditions

5. Experiences and organizing capacity for holding large-scale activities

6. Fund investment capacity

Article 23 The Ministry of Culture shall dispatch an inspection group to the bidding place, in accordance with the bidding conditions and the emphasis and theme of the Festival.

Article 24 The Ministry of Culture shall work out the place for holding the Festival in accordance with the investigation before submit the result to the CPC central committee and the State Council for approval.

Chapter VI Encouraging and Rewarding Measures

Article 25 The Grand Prize of the Art Festival of China, the Prize of the Art Festival of China, the Special Prize of the Art Festival of China, and the Souvenir Prize of the Art Festival of China shall be set by the Art Festival of China. All prizes of the Art Festival of China are national awards.

Article 26 Each of the Festival shall set up an Evaluation Committee composed by relevant personnel of the Ministry of Culture and famous experts. The Evaluation Committee shall judge all the performance and exhibition programs participating the Festival, and work out all awards.

Chapter VII Funds

Article 27 Sources of the funds

1. The operation fund of the Ministry of Culture and fund of the Foundation of the Art Festival of China

2. Investment of the organizing units

3. Fund collected from the society

4. Special subsidy applied form the State

Article 28 The use of the funds: All of the funds of the Art Festival of China shall be used for activities of the Festival, and shall not be used for other purposes. The budget and income, and expenses plan of the funds shall be examined and approved by the Organizing Committee of the Art Festival.

Article 29 Individuals and organizations giving financial support to the Festival shall be given favorable offers to attend various activities and corresponding honors in return.

Chapter VIII Supplementary Rules

Article 30 The Ministry of Culture shall be responsible for the storage and management of the documents and files of the Art Festival of China.

Article 31 The Ministry of Culture reserves the interpretation right of this Charter.

Article 32 This Charter shall come into effect as of the date of its promulgation.