Yesterday, Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Nevine El-Kilany, and China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hu Heping, inaugurated the Silk Road Artists’ Rendez-vous exhibition held in the Palace of Arts at the Cairo Opera House.
The exhibition showcased 47 artworks by Arab artists and 40 paintings and artistic ceramics created by Chinese artists to promote Arab-Chinese friendship, in addition to 10 distinguished, works of ceramics.
According to the Ministry, the Egyptian and Chinese culture ministries, joined by the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Chinese Embassy in Cairo, organized the Silk Road-themed art exhibition, which presents dozens of artworks by Arab and Chinese artists.
In her speech at the inauguration ceremony, El-Kilany said: The exhibition is held in appreciation of the prominent role that had been played by the Silk Road in promoting cultural exchange between countries over many centuries.
She further lauded the major role played by the Silk Road in enriching ancient civilizations, especially the Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian civilizations, besides its main role as a trade corridor.
In turn, Minister Hu Heping read a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Arab artists; it translated to: Culture can connect hearts, and art can interlink the world.
The Chinese president shared: Exchanges between the Chinese and Arab civilizations have spanned thousands of years with mutual appreciation from the opening of the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road cooperation.
He added: The history of such Arab-Chinese exchanges has written a historical legacy of mutual learning.
Minister Hu Heping’s visit to Egypt, which started on Saturday, marks his first official visit outside China since the outbreak of COVID-19.
It’s worth noting that the ancient Silk Road constituted a network of trade routes that linked China with Europe and the Middle East for more than 1,500 years and helped facilitate economic, cultural, and religious interactions between the East and West.
