Artists and performers from several countries dazzled audiences with their energetic on-stage displays as the 10th Silk Road International Arts Festival opened with a colorful carnival on Monday in the historic city of Xi'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
As a significant part of the month-long festival, the carnival emphasizes the importance of delivering art to the masses, and featured various activities that gathered 130 artists from Russia, the U.S., the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Serbia and Austria, as well as many local performers from Shaanxi.
The opening ceremony commenced with a stunning court dance and music from China's Tang Dynasty (618-907) period, followed by a range of captivating stage performances from both domestic and international artists, some of which spilled over into getting the audience involved.
"This year I'm here to perform with many instruments. Most of them are traditional instruments, ancient instruments from Serbia, but I'm performing them in a very modern way [while showcasing] the music and culture that is promoted by the Silk Road Festival," said Slobodan Tegula, a Serbian singer.
Local participants were also excited to demonstrate their own cultural charm while gracing the stage alongside fellow performers from around the globe.
"This dance is a grand ceremony from the Tang Dynasty for welcoming guests from afar. As a resident of Shaanxi Province, I'm excited and hopeful for more opportunities to perform alongside them, exchange cultures, and learn from each other to promote our national culture," said He Hui, an actress from the Shaanxi Opera House.
First held back in 2014, this year's Silk Road International Arts Festival, hosted by the provincial government of Shaanxi, will run until November 10.
The event has attracted artists from 15 countries and regions, while a total of 63 performances are scheduled alongside a series of activities including multiple shows and exhibitions, according to organizers.
Int'l performers create carnival atmosphere as Silk Road Arts Festival opens in Xi'an
Institutional opening-up, a key topic at this year's two sessions and in the 15th Five-Year Plan, is fundamentally about establishing long-term effectiveness through systematic, nationwide efforts rather than fragmented, short-term actions, said a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday in Beijing.
The "two sessions", a major event in China's political calendar, refer to the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Peng Shou, also an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, explained that by developing comprehensive pilot frameworks in free trade zones like Shanghai and the Hainan Free Trade Port, China is transforming fragmented policies into cohesive systems, such as addressing processing VAT to boost high-tech industries; and exploring the expansion of models like negative lists and digital infrastructure to create a more transparent and predictable environment for global partners.
"I believe that a system is about long-term effectiveness, it's not a short-term move, and not fragmented. It's not about handling isolated cases, but about involving everyone, the whole society," said Peng.
China has built a series of comprehensive testing grounds for institutional openness.
With 22 free trade zones covering the entire country, a full-scale pilot framework has been established. Especially in free trade zones like Shanghai and the Hainan Free Trade Port, China has launched over 110 innovative, integrated pilot measures.
"Turning previous fragmented small policies into a systematic framework is key. For example, the issue of processing and value-added tax is well addressed. By incorporating processing technologies and adding value, it drives the development of high-tech industries," said Peng.
Such models could also be promoted in other regions.
Peng also said that the Hainan Free Trade Port's special customs operations can be used as a great example.
"We may apply this negative list model to some cities or development zones. Additionally, we can focus on digital infrastructure, using AI and digital technology as a foundation in cities like Beijing and Shanghai," he said.
At its core, institutional opening-up is not just about aligning with global standards; it's about creating a more open, transparent, and predictable environment that attracts global partners, according to Peng.
By embracing this new model, China is not only enhancing its position in the global market but also reshaping its own economic future, he added.
NPC deputy emphasizes long-term, systematic impact of institutional opening-up strategies
