Tibetan history, life and culture arrive in the Big Apple.

A cultural program titled 2016 Experience China-Cultural Exploration of Western China in the USA opened at the Asian Cultural Center with a book and photo exhibition and folk songs and dance on Monday.

The program was initiated by China's State Council Information Office and is a flagship program to introduce the culture of China to the international community.

The four-day program featuring Tibetan culture, history and life will include symposiums, seminars, media forums and documentary screenings. It is co-hosted by the State Council Information Office and Chinese Consulate General in New York, with support from the Asian Cultural Center of the US.

Photos taken by Chinese photographers featuring the changing times in Tibet were on display for the opening ceremony. Songs and dances were performed by the Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble of Aba Tibetan and the Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province in southwest China.

"China is a united country with various ethnic groups and various cultures," said Lu Guangjin, a director of the State Council Information Office. "The ethnic groups living in the west part of China have created various types of culture with their wisdom, thus enriching Chinese culture".

"New York is not only the international center for economy and trade, it is a very critical place for international culture," Lu said. "Today, we are hosting this program on the prosperous island of Manhattan to introduce the western culture of China; it has special significance."

Lu said, as the United States is the outstanding example of Western culture and China is the grand example of Eastern culture, to enhance cultural exchange between China and the United States is very important for global cultural development, and it's important for enhancing social and public opinion of the two peoples.

"Exactly because of the acknowledgement, we are here to facilitate the Experience China program to introduce the culture of western China to you," said Lu.

Lu said through this program, he hopes to give Americans a closer look at Tibetan culture, which dominates the culture of western China.

"Culture is a bridge and platform that can help different countries and nations communicate. Hopefully, this program will help people of the US have a better understanding of the western culture of China, which is a very important part of the overall Chinese culture," said Zhang Meifang, deputy consul general of China in New York.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com