The opening ceremony of the "Chinese Culture Enters ASEAN" activity was celebrated in grand style at the Bangkok Chinese Cultural Center on March 31, with distinctive Chinese music, dances, acrobatics and performances featuring Confucian traditions provided by the Shandong art group.

More than 400 distinguished guests from China and Thailand attended the ceremony, including Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Phinij Jarusombat, Thailand's former deputy prime minister and president of the Thai-Chinese Cultural and Relationship Council, Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Chinese ambassador to Thailand Ning Fukui.

Wissanu said at the ceremony that Chinese culture is profound and boasts a long history. The cultural exchange activity will give Thai people an opportunity to understand Chinese culture as well as the Qilu culture, and promote friendship between the two peoples.

Liu said that Shandong has rich cultural resources and has made great contributions to the promotion of Chinese culture to the whole world.

Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the "Chinese Culture Enters ASEAN" activity at the Bangkok Chinese Cultural Center on March 31. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

Several cultural events took place during the three-day cultural exchange activity in Bangkok, all expressing the essence of Qilu culture. They included a book fair, exhibitions of drawings of Confucius, Shandong painting and calligraphy and intangible cultural heritages and cultural lectures.