Backgrounder: Europalia China

BRUSSELS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- As one of the leading art festivals in Europe, Europalia will celebrate its 40th anniversary by inviting China as a guest country. The opening ceremony of Europalia China is going to be held here on Thursday with the presence of Belgian King Albert II and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

After the Olympic Games and before the Shanghai Expo in 2010, Europalia China, to be held from Oct. 8, 2009 to Feb. 14, 2010, will offer the European audience a unique opportunity to discover all aspects of Chinese culture and lifestyle.

The art festival is a project jointly organized by Europalia International and the Chinese Ministry of Culture. In China, 19 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, 58 museums, libraries, archeological institutes, and numerous public and private cultural institutions have also contributed to the organization of the festival.

During the four months' period, about 50 exhibitions and 300 performances will be presented to audience in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Luxembourg In total, more than 1,000 artists will take part in the festival.

The exhibitions and art performances will follow four main themes, namely Immortal China, Contemporary China, Colorful China, and China and the World.