The culture week's opening ceremony was on September 21 in the Kremlin Grand Theater, with 5,600 guests that included the Chinese ambassador to Russia; Russia-China Friendship Association and Moscow government officials; Russian celebrities in the arts, media, and culture; Chinese representatives in Russia; and other foreign ambassadors.

The opening ceremony's evening party was a major part of the week, with the theme "Spirit of Changbai Mountains", a combination of folk activities and modern stage performances, the organizing committee said.

The love stories, legends, and descriptions of Jilin's beauty combined to paint a vivid picture of the province.

A painting and photography exhibit in the front hall of the Grand Theater on September 21, was meant to be a prelude to the other activities, with scenes of Jilin's economy, society, daily lives and tourism.

That afternoon, there were programs on the culture industry in Jilin to get investors interested, with folk artists show in their paper-cutting, painting, and other skills to Russian visitors.

On September 22, officials from the Russian Culture, Publication, and Mass Media bureaus; national TV and broadcasting representatives; and people in the arts, media and tourism came together to discuss bilateral communications and future cooperation in the culture industry.

Other activities will include parties for young Chinese and Russian artists and open-air cultural performances.

"We sincerely hope that the Russian people will get a better understanding of Jilin province from the culture week's activities and we'll really be happy to see more Russians visiting and investing in Jilin," said Xun Fengqi, head of the Jilin Publicity Department.

(China Daily 09/23/2011 page14)