2023 Silk Road Week to open on July 12

The 2023 Silk Road Week will open in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 12, the China National Silk Museum announced at a news briefing on Tuesday.

This year's Silk Road Week, the fourth edition of the event, is themed "The Silk Roads: Long Roads & Mutual Goals", said Ji Xiaofen, director of the museum.

"We will continue to promote sericulture and silk culture and further foster the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit around the world," she said.

Begun at the museum in 2020, the annual Silk Road Week is hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang provincial government. It has received strong support from the UNESCO since its inception.

Over the past three years, each edition of the Silk Road Week has attracted more than 200 participating organizations and institutions around the globe, Ji said, and this year is no exception.

For this year's event, Hungary will be the Guest Country of Honor, an initiative introduced last year when the Republic of Uzbekistan became the first guest of honor.

Hungary, a key country along the Silk Road, has been instrumental in facilitating cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries and was the first European country to join the Belt and Road Initiative, now entering its 10th year.

Among the many online and on-site activities for Silk Road Week is a main exhibition that kicked off on Tuesday. It showcases some 34 pieces of textiles and ornamental weapons dating to the 16th and 17th centuries from the Esterhazy collection of Hungary's Museum of Applied Arts and the China National Museum.

One of the best-known aristocratic families in Hungary, the Esterhazys rose to prominence during the Habsburg Empire of the early 16th century. The exhibition will run until Aug 21.

It is wonderful for Hungary to be the Guest Country of Honor this year, said Anna Bognar, head of the department for international affairs at the Museum of Applied Arts.

"With our exhibition, we can further deepen cultural cooperation between China and Hungary," she said. "Cultural exchanges always expand connectivity between people."

The Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest was founded in 1872 by the Hungarian Parliament.

Other exhibitions featuring Dunhuang, a major city along the ancient Silk Road, a photography exhibition on Hungary, symposiums, livestreaming events and immersive silk-road-themed workshops for the public, especially the youth, will be presented.

"It is hoped that Silk Road Week can truly serve as a platform for sharing, dialogue and exchanges," Ji said.