Nation takes huge strides on cultural stage

During the six-week festival, which opened in September, more than 30 artists and groups from 39 countries and regions performed in Shenzhen. They included Chinese American violinist Cho-Liang Lin, Argentinian bandoneonist (a type of concertina) player Walter Rios, talented French trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary, the New York Metropolitan Opera House's baritone Yunpeng Wang, and Chinese vocalist Lei Jia.

Ye said: "A nation or a people cannot be strong or prosperous without a thriving culture. Likewise, we cannot achieve the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation without a vigorous socialist culture."

In the spirit of "each appreciating the best of others, and all appreciating the best together", he believes that contacts between different cultures lead to exchanges, mutual learning and development.

"As a result, we have never stopped such contacts, and we have learned and absorbed from the best of other nations and peoples," Ye said.

In recent years, as evidence of Chinese culture's enhanced soft power, a cultural renaissance has unfolded, marked by a wave of artistic expression and a proliferation of sophisticated platforms for cultural dissemination.

A diverse range of activities and products now cater to the public's ever-expanding tastes, and the cultural landscape has become a powerful force, enhancing China's soft power and global influence.

The nation is a front-runner globally in the production of television shows and books.