The first Chinese Culture Talk on the Silk Road in Xinjiang and relations between Luoyang and the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was held in Latvia recently.

Wubuli, deputy-director of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Bureau of Cultural Heritage, and Zhang Deshui, deputy-director of the Henan Museum, were invited to give the joint lecture.

Wubuli introduced the Silk Road's history and its contribution to bridging Asia and Europe. The Silk Road is an historic route of commerce, pilgrimage and cultural communication between the two continents.

He said the part in Xinjiang is the most important section and that it covers 1/4 of the Silk Road's entire length. The Silk Road was divided into many branches, which went to East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia. Two civilizations based in agriculture and a nomadic lifestyle met in Xinjiang and formed a unique, diversified culture.

Zhang started his lecture by introducing Luoyang and its importance in Chinese history. As the starting point of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang was the center of politics, economy and culture in ancient China in that era.

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Latvia. An exhibition featuring a series of cultural relics from Henan and Xinjiang also was held, along with the culture talk.

About Chinese Culture Talk

Chinese Culture Talk is a series of high-level cultural and academic lectures launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture of China. More than 70 lectures had been held in about 30 countries by the end of 2016, including the US, France, Italy, Cambodia and Indonesia. The content varies from philosophy, religion, cultural heritage, literature and art, costume, cooking and Chinese medicine.