The 11th Asia Arts Festival is slated to open on August 18 in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. Organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the nine-day festival will feature a series of cultural activities exhibiting the diversity of Asian cultures and cementing cultural links in the region.

With the theme of "Auspicious prairie, blissful Asia," the event will be along the same lines as the Mongolian styled Naadam festival, the most important celebration for Mongolians – full of color and entertainment including wrestling, archery and theatrical performances.

More than 150 artistic troupes hailing from 25 Asian nations will attend the annual gala, bringing the best culture that their country has to offer. The artists will also take their performances to the streets, enabling audiences to experience a close-up encounter with all of the action.

The Ordos Art Center will also host a non-tangible cultural relics exhibition of minor nationalities.

A highlight of the event will be a round table conference involving more than 20 culture ministers and high-ranking officials in Asia. The dignitaries will discuss opportunities, challenges and methods for cultural development amid the ongoing financial crisis. The Ordos Manifesto will be signed and put into practice in a bid to deepen regional cultural cooperation in Asia.

The Asia Arts Festival marked its tenth anniversary in China last year, developing into a major regional gala since its inception in 1998.

(Global Times August 11, 2009)