The first Silk Road International Arts Festival was held in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, from Sept 12, 2014.

The opening ceremony of the arts festival was held at the Shaanxi Province Art Museum, and a Chinese and Arabic Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition was also opened to the public. It is the first time that Arabic intangible cultural heritage was on display in Shaanxi. Exquisite artworks included hand-woven cloth from Lebanon, Omani accessories, Moroccan instruments, Egyptian sculptures and clothes, and Chinese paper-cuts, embroidery, clay sculpture and thangka.

In addition, local folk craftsmen were invited to demonstrate their techniques. And a Xi'an drum band and puppet performance was staged during the ceremony.

In the evening, ministers of culture from 13 countries watched the arts festival opening performances at Xi'an People's Theatre. The performance Friends Come from Afar characterized by Chinese features opened the ceremony. Artists from China, India and Spain jointly performed on stage, which reflected the integration of different cultures and ethnic groups. The show ended on a high note with the dance Bosom Friends Afar.

During the arts festival, which ends Sept 27, over 30 performances are scheduled by artists from countries along the Silk Road and provinces in China.

The first Silk Road International Arts Festival is held in Xi'an during Sept 12 to Sept 27, 2014. [Photo/Lu Xu]