NEW YORK, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Asian American heritage was celebrated at Flushing Town Hall in New York City in the form of photo and art exhibition, Asian cuisine tasting as well as cultural performance on Sunday evening.

Present at the event were more than 100 guests from various ethnic groups.

Scores of photos showcased cultural and natural heritage sites including Yellow Mountain and Dazu Rock Carvings of China, Nikko Toshogu Shrine of Japan, Batu Caves of Malaysia, traditional Balinese dance of Indonesia and others, according to a release by Sino-American Culture and Arts Foundation, the organizer of the event.

The photo exhibition started on Thursday and would last for 10 days.

Performers and artists presented dances and music from China, Malaysia, South Korea, Myanmar and Japan.

Guests also had a chance to taste traditional Asian foods and have a close look at cultural handicrafts from several Asian countries.

The event is part of national celebrations of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which is observed in May in the United States.

"It's so great to be here today to look at the art work that not only represents so many cultures, but especially now during AAPI Heritage Month, we get to know where our communities come from and how their connection is still deeply connected," said Christopher Marte, a member of the New York City Council.

New York finally sees an embrace of the AAPI community and "it's long overdue that we start learning about these cultures and how they affect our society every single day in a positive way," said Marte.

He added that travel is extremely important in inspiring people to have a greater understanding and to be open to growing, which leads people to trust each other.

Currently, China and the United States have shared interests and goals in tourism, noted Ma Yunfei, director of China National Tourist Office in New York.

Ma said that enhancing bilateral tourism is an important way to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and better friendship between the two peoples.

May was officially designated AAPI Heritage Month in 1992 in the United States. The month-long observance provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the AAPI community's contributions to American culture, society and history over centuries. Enditem

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