The Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is one of the few surviving habitats of mountain gorillas.[Photo Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The launch ceremony of the first China-Rwanda Friendship Cup Photo Contest was recently held at Rwanda’s embassy in Beijing.

Initiated by the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda, the contest aims to boost cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of both countries.

Both Chinese and Rwandans can submit photos taken in Rwanda before the deadline of Dec 20.

The committee, comprising embassy officials from the two countries, photographers and media, will select 50 pictures for exhibition in both China and Rwanda, before narrowing the field down to 20 prize-winning images. The awards ceremony will be held in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, in January.

Rwanda attracts global tourists for its natural beauty, exotic African culture and wild animals, such as the critically endangered mountain gorilla.

To expand the market for Chinese tourism, the Rwanda Development Board recently opened a store on Alibaba Group’s online travel service platform, Fliggy, so that Chinese travelers can easily book flights, hotels and other tourism products.