An art exchange activity under the "Insight of China" program kicks off at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on May 7. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

An exchange activity aimed at boosting art ties between China and Arab countries was held at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from May 7 to 11.

The activity, part of the "Insight of China" program from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, invited eight artists from Arab countries such as Algeria and Tunisia to take part in teaching and studying at the conservatory. They also gave speeches to students during their visit.

Meanwhile, several field trips were organized for the delegation to help them gain a better understanding of customs and culture in Zhejiang.

Zhu Qi, deputy director of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said Arabic countries are important partners in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and it's hoped that more Arab artists become inspired by Chinese culture, modern music and dance, while also bringing artistic traditions from their own cultures to China.

Eight artists from Arab countries participate in the exchange activity in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The "Insight of China" program was initiated by the ministry in 2009 for exchange and cooperation with BRI countries and regions. Zhejiang Conservatory of Music has successfully organized three editions of the art exchange activity under the program.

The conservatory, based in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, has recently been attaching greater importance to global cooperation and has forged friendly relations with several foreign institutes. In 2017, it joined hands with 15 music schools from Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and established the China-CEEC Music Academies Union.