Chinese President Xi Jinping applauded China-Russia cultural exchange when speaking at the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Years of Culture and a special concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties in Beijing on Thursday.
Jointly attending the event with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi spoke highly of the music cultures of the two countries in his address.
"High Mountains and Flowing Water (a traditional Chinese music masterpiece) is played for cherished friends. China has a long tradition of building bonds and conveying emotions through music. Russian music has a profound cultural background and is particularly moving. The folk music of our two countries are splendid flowers in the garden of world civilization. Tonight, artists from the China National Traditional Orchestra and the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra will jointly present not only Russian songs well-known in Chinese households such as Moscow Nights and Katyusha, but also famous Chinese pieces with unique oriental charms such as Song of the Homebound Fishermen and Blooming Flowers and the Full Moon. We believe that this musical feast will become a splendid chapter in the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Russia," Xi said.
Xi applauds cultural exchange at opening ceremony of China-Russia Years of Culture
Xi applauds cultural exchange at opening ceremony of China-Russia Years of Culture
An international academic symposium was held on Saturday at the Xizang Museum in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, to mark the 75th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of the region.
Perched on the Roof of the World, the Xizang Museum is the first modern museum on the plateau.
On the 75th anniversary of Xizang's peaceful liberation, it welcomed a group of international scholars to reflect on the region's transformation and future.
Greening efforts on the highest region on Earth have seen major strides.
Forest coverage has risen from less than 1 percent in 1951 to 12.5 percent today.
"Even here you see around the mountains of Lhasa here, the massive large-scale plantation. There is a big lesson to learn now to other parts of the world and other countries also to come. This is the conservation. We should move this way," said Krishna Prasad Oli, former Nepali ambassador to China. Nestled in the Himalayas is not just Xizang's natural beauty, but its unique culture.
Over the past few decades, the central government has invested billions of yuan in the region's heritage protection.
"In general there are so many rumors that are just not true. For example, there are rumors in our media that China suppresses the Tibetan language. A very simple thing is on the street that you see signs and two languages everywhere (in Mandarin and in Tibetan). Even in Austria and the minority areas, there are big discussions if we should write something in minority languages. But in China it is not a problem. So China's handling this is far better than Austria," said Georg, Vavra, an Austrian historian.
The most ambitious and costly undertaking on the plateau since its liberation has been building modern infrastructure.
Today, Xizang boasts a network of roads and railways that continues to expand.
"It just so happens that yesterday I traveled by train from Nyingchi to Lhasa. The UK is a country of 60 million people and has been struggling and failing for 17 years to build 150 kilometers of high speed rail. Now if you consider Xizang with a population of 4 or 5 million, they could never undertake a project of that scale, and that is what China is trying to do. China is the only country in the world that has a genuine interest in the prosperity and the development of Xizang," said David Ferguson, a Scottish commentator.
Beyond traditional industries, emerging sectors are also taking root in China's western frontier.
"In the 75 years since its peaceful liberation, Xizang has built its scientific and technological capabilities from the ground up. It has become a driving force behind the region's economic and social progress," said Nyima Tashi, a professor with the School of Information Science and Technology under Xizang University.
Int'l scholars gather in Xizang to review regional development over past 75 years
