A week-long cultural and tourism fair opened on Sunday in Kazakhstan's Almaty to promote exchanges and ties between Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Almaty.
The fair also commemorates the operation of the first China-Central Asia international tourist train.
The event opened with a traditional Chinese dance performance and featured shows, including traditional Chinese opera and Kazakh folk dance.
At the opening ceremony, the Chinese and Kazakh sides signed eight agreements covering various fields such as cultural tourism, economic and trade development, and sports medicine, injecting new momentum into the deepening cooperation between the two countries.
Noting that China and Kazakhstan are neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, Lu Fei, general manager of Xi'an Tourism Group, said this event will deepen and expand exchanges between both countries.
"Through this kind of communication, we connect the north and south of Tianshan Mountain and the mountainous areas of Altay. Through the mutual benefits of cultural tourism, we can deepen and expand our exchanges in economic and tourism culture," said Lu.
"China now has advanced technology in the medical field. I have been to many European countries and the United States, but I prefer Chinese technology. Our nations share many similarities, so these technologies suit us well," said Baigenzhin Abay, head of Kazakhstan's National Scientific Medical Center. The exchange event will present intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, experiences of traditional Chinese medicine culture, sports cooperation interactions, archaeological exchanges, and calligraphy and painting art creations.
The two cities will engage in mutually beneficial cooperation at a higher level and in broader areas, making new and greater contributions to building a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future and opening new pathways while injecting new momentum, according to Xi'an officials.
West China's Xi'an holds cultural fair in Kazakhstan's Almaty
