The first stop of the European tour exhibition of Hainan provincial intangible cultural heritage kicked off at the China Cultural Center in Malta on Friday evening.

Running until May 17, the exhibition features a variety of artifacts and photographs representing cultural heritage from south China's Hainan Province, including Li brocade, Miao embroidery and Qiong opera.

For example, the Li brocade, the earliest textile technique created by the Li ethnic minority on Hainan Island, boasts a history of around 3,000 years. The Li brocade tradition, which encompasses spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery, was included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009.

Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, said the exhibition would enrich the interaction of civilizations and cultural exchanges between China and Malta.

Cultural exchange activities allow the friendship between the peoples of Malta and China to overcome the obstacles of geographical distance, and promote the steady progress of bilateral relations, said Mary Ann Cauchi, director for Funding and Strategy at the Arts Council Malta.

The exhibition aims to promote the unique charm of Hainan's excellent traditional culture and showcase Hainan's open and inclusive cultural atmosphere, said Liu Cheng, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Film, Television, Publications and Sports.

Martin Azzopardi, founder of "China Corner" of St. Margaret College Secondary School in Cospicua, Malta, said he was fascinated by the exhibition. Although he has been to China several times, he had known little about Hainan before, he told Xinhua.

The first stop of the exhibition was jointly hosted by the China Cultural Center in Malta and the Hainan Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Film, Television, Publications and Sports.

The exhibition will also be held in Berlin, Germany, and Sofia, Bulgaria.