PR88956

DUNHUANG, China, April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Over 20 activities highlighting a major historic and cultural landmark on the

ancient Silk Road were unveiled at the opening ceremony of Culture Cities of

East Asia 2021 on April 9 in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province. The

opening ceremony was part of a year-round cultural exchange initiative between

China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

"East Asia Capital of Culture" is an important measure to implement the

consensus reached at the trilateral leaders' meeting and has become a flagship

brand for cultural exchanges among the three countries, said Zhang Xu, Chinese

Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism.

In 2020, Shaoxing and Dunhuang in China, Kitakyushu in Japan, and Sunchon in

the ROK were designated as the Culture Cities of East Asia 2021.

Gansu will work with other culture cities of east Asia, upholding the spirit of

"peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual

benefit" to promote regional development and world peace, said Gansu Vice

Governor He Wei.

Shimizu Fumio, Japan's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in

China, said he expects the cities of Culture Cities of East Asia to carry out a

variety of cultural exchanges activities to make new contributions in promoting

mutual understanding among the three countries.

Kim Byungkwun, the Consul General of the ROK in Xi'an, China,  said this year's

Culture Cities of East Asia uphold the valued concept of respecting the

cultural diversity of China, Japan, and the ROK while promoting cultural

development.

Four exhibitions, including the China-Japan-ROK Dunhuang Cultural Exchange

Exhibition, will showcase replicas of traditional Dunhuang mural art, as well

as high-tech exhibits like 3D-printed sculptures and high-fidelity digital

murals.

Dunhuang played a key role in Silk Road history, influencing China's East Asian

neighbors' culture and history. The Temple of the Flourishing Law (Horyu-ji), a

Buddhist temple in Japan's Nara Prefecture, was adorned with Buddhist murals

styled after the Dunhuang murals in China. There are also poems in the Dunhuang

Manuscripts describing the visit of a prince from Silla named Kim Gyo-gak, who

became interested in Buddhism when visiting China during the Tang Dynasty.

Since the 1950s, Dunhuang art has been exhibited in Japan and the ROK many

times. The three countries have maintained exchanges and cooperation in

cultural relic protection technology and talent training.

SOURCE  Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

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   Caption: The opening ceremony of China Dunhuang Event Year