Asian and European culture will be celebrated in Beijing with the launch of the First ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Culture and Art Festival from Sept 2-8.

With the theme "Culture Diversity and Sharing Innovation", the festival will focus on music, dance, drama, film, exhibitions, publications and cultural forums. More than 40 ASEM members have registered to attend the festival.

The highlights of the festival include the opening performance of the Asian-European Classical Symphony Concert at the National Center for the Performing Arts on Sept 2, and the closing ceremony of Asian-European Ethnic Music and Dance Gala in Chaoyang Park on Sept 8.

The major event is the Book and Audio-Visual Exhibition at Culture Palace of the Nationalities from Sept 5-8, which will display books and audio-visual products from 42 ASEM countries, covering literature, arts, philosophy, esthetics, history, education and linguistics. There will be a special hall presenting animations from Asian and European countries.

"The book and audio-visual exhibition is a result of the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting held in Beijing last October. It will be the biggest exhibition of this kind in China, featuring products from 16 Asian countries and 27 European countries," says Wu Shulin, vice-director of the General Administration of Press and Publication of China.

There will be another two exhibitions at the festival, including the "One World, One Home" exhibition of art works from Asian and European Embassies in China, and Micro Adventure 2009 Euro-Asia Currencies and Stamps Exhibition.

During the weeklong festival, four performances by Asian artists will present the grandeur of Asian civilizations, while five European classical music concerts will show the evolution of European culture from classical times to modernity.

For Chinese performing arts, the award-winning drama "Autumn Begins," dance "A Handful of Wild Jujubes," a concert of overseas Chinese singers and the Chinese and foreign music concert will be staged.

The festival will also host the Forum of Cultural Cooperation and Development between East and West. Government officials from Asian and European countries, experts, scholars and representatives from NGOs will gather together to discuss creative models and plans to develop regional and urban cultural industries.

For detailed information about venues and times visit http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/Activities/

(China Daily August 18, 2009)