Arabian art festival adds hint of the exotic to Jingdezhen

The festival covered a series of cultural exchange activities, such as performances, a cultural industry forum and an exhibition featuring works by Arab and Chinese artists.

A total of 80 paintings, 20 sculptures and 20 porcelain works by Arab artists, as well as 30 porcelain works created by Chinese artists for the festival, were on display during the exhibition.

Over the past decade or so, more than 170 artists from 22 Arab countries have been invited to places across China to draw artistic inspiration for their work. They produced a total of 549 paintings, sculptures and porcelain works, which have been collected by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

At the China-Arab culture industry forum that was staged during the festival, nearly 30 representatives from China and nine Arab countries exchanged views on future bilateral cooperation in cultural industries.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism unveiled the 2022 China-Arab cultural industry Jingdezhen initiative.

The cultural sector cooperation between China and the Arab countries has a good foundation and broad prospects, according to the initiative.

In the new era and situation, China is willing to work with Arab countries to further consolidate practical cooperation in traditional fields, continue to enrich and expand new areas of cultural industry, continuously promote the exchange and mutual appreciation of civilizations, and make every effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future. It adds that the goal is to jointly create a bright future for China-Arab relations.

Since 2006, the Arabic Arts Festival has been held every four years in China. Last month's event was co-hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jiangxi provincial people's government, alongside the secretariat of the Arab League.

After years of development, the Arabic Arts Festival has become an important cultural and artistic exchange platform for promoting the spirit of the Silk Road and deepening China-Arab friendship and cooperation.