Proposed by President Xi Jinping at the China–Latin American and Caribbean Countries Leaders’ Meeting in Brasilia in July 2014, the China–Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange is held in China and up to 30 countries. This year-long event is organized by China’s Ministry of Culture and presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group, featuring the countries’ traditional culture and modern developments in the areas of art, literature, relics, film, media and tourism in the forms of performances, exhibitions, seminars, film screenings, gourmet tasting and tourism promotion, with mainly inbound events in the first half of year and outbound events in the second half, and has become the largest cultural program ever held by China and Latin America and Caribbean regions since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong attends the opening ceremony of China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Cultural Exchange in Beijing, March 24, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The China–Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange officially opened on March 24 at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, participated by more than 200 artists and staff from China and more than 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries. China’s Vice Premier Liu Yandong, Minister of Culture Luo Shugang, Cuban Vice Minister of Culture Julio Ballester, and up to 20 Latin American and Caribbean envoys have attended the opening ceremony.

Major events held in China in the first half of the year also included the Latin American and Caribbean Music Festival, Film Festival and Food Festival. Outbound events in the second half of the year included Lang Lang’s Recitals in Argentina and Chile, China National Traditional Orchestra’s Rediscover Chinese Music tour in Colombia and Mexico, and Chinese delegation to the Mercado de Industrias Culturales del Sur (MICSUR).

The official website of the China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange has three language versions, namely Chinese, English and Spanish. Its Wechat, Facebook, and Twitter accounts are updated regularly, and have become an important channel for its image building and news release.

Website：CLA2016.com

Facebook：China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange

Twitter：@CLA_2016

WeChat：CLA2016