Tibetannet

The artists staged a performance at the opening of a three-month Chinese arts festival in the EU on Thursday in Brussels. (Photo by Yao Yueyang/For chinadaily.com.cn)

A three-month Chinese arts festival kicked off on Thursday in Brussels, aimed at bringing about a better understanding of a variety of Chinese cultures.

This is the second time such a tightly-scheduled package of film screenings, exhibitions of paintings, photography and calligraphy, and cultural industry dialogues has been staged.

As part of the festival, a group of young Chinese film directors, actors and actresses will interact with movie-goers in Brussels this month.

Zhou Bo, counselor at the Chinese Mission to the EU, said a film on Tibet will also be on show this time, which will give Europeans a chance to see how Tibetans live harmoniously with nature.

She said the eight-day film part of the festival will help show "how far China has come in the film industry in recent years".

According to the organizer, 13 short films produced by Belgian and Chinese university students will be screened.

Built on the success of the bilateral cultural exchange between EU and China last year, the Chinese Arts Festival in the EU has been turned into a non-profit platform supported by Chinese Mission to the EU and European Parliament.

"As a new platform, we cannot dream for a better partner like Chinese Mission to the EU. They help us to build connection with many Chinese high-level artists and cultural projects." said Julie Patterson, co-president of the Chinese Arts Festival in the EU.

She said more diverse cultural-oriented projects are in the pipeline, and the Chinese Arts Festival in the EU also intends to involve more EU member states in the future.

To inaugurate the festival, an EU-funded octet was invited to make its debut.

Eight musicians from France, Slovenia, Bulgaria and China jointly performed three musical classics, including the Chinese masterpiece Moon's Reflection Er'Quan.

"It is an innovative and interesting attempt, and it also shows the music is without borders," said Wang Taiping, the first violist.

Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-President of the Committee on Transport and Tourism at the European Parliament said: "I surely believe that this year's festival will provide a good example on how we could achieve concrete cultural cooperation to enhance dialogues. It also shows our desire to learn from each other."