Cultural ministers and officials of China and 16 CEEC countries put sand into letters spelling "ARTCEEC" at the opening ceremony. [Photo by Wang Zhenbo/Chinaculture.org]

Delegations from China and the 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC）, the "16+1 cooperation" Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU delegation in China, together with envoys from 16 CEEC countries in China, attended the 11th Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo as well as the opening ceremony of Past and Present: Culture and Art Exchange Exhibition of Central and Eastern European Countries in Hangzhou on Sept 23. The two events are important activities of the third China-CEEC Cultural Cooperation Forum.

Hangzhou is a historical and cultural city with a unique charm. After ten years of work, the cultural and creative industries have become a pillar in the city. As a major development platform for these fields, the Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo has become one of four comprehensive exhibitions of domestic cultural industries, as well as a "golden name card" for building an international city for exchanging Asian culture.

The theme of the expo is "Integration -- Creative Life and Connected World" and will be held at the Hangzhou Whitehorse Lake International Convention Center from Sept 21-25. The International Exchange Center at the main venue displays Past and Present, which includes cultural exchange achievements made between China and 16 CEEC countries, as well as handicrafts and works of art from CEEC.

At the opening ceremony, cultural ministers and officials of China and 16 CEEC nations put sand into a letters spelling "ARTCEEC", a symbolic act which means further cultural exchange will enhance friendship between the two sides.

The exhibition is divided into three sections. The first section displays themed art devices; the second section showcases architectural photography art from Poland together with the glass art and woodcut of CEEC countries; and the last section shows representative handicrafts from CEEC countries.

In the exhibition area, the tea ceremony set from Zhejiang Provincial Museum is a highlight. Museums such as the Palace Museum also display cultural and creative objects. Exhibition areas of other countries, including Japan and Germany, are also set in the International Exchange Center.