Emblem of the 15th Asia Arts Festival [Photo/pi.cnnb.com.cn]

The 15th Asia Arts Festival will be held in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province from Sept 23 to Oct 23, the Ministry of Culture announced on Aug 22.

Sponsored by the ministry and the provincial government, the festival will include a Lancang-Mekong cultural forum as a platform where culture ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China will discuss exchanges and cooperation.

As well as a grand opening gala, the festival will include stage performances, visual art exhibitions, seminars, and forums of cultural exchange.

Ningbo, a node city in the Maritime Silk Road, will be the starting point for a tour to other important Silk Road cities. The tour will include five provinces in China and the capitals of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, and will feature diverse cultural activities with local people.

Since its launch in Beijing in 1998, the Asia Arts Festival has been held in various cities around China and seen increased participation from other nations.