The formal exhibition of the "Olympic Fine Arts 2008" event opened in Beijing Monday.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president and Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC honorary president, attended the opening ceremony in the China International Exhibition Center and granted awards to 10 winners of the artwork contest in the event.

The event was themed "China and the world" with the slogan "The arts complete the spirit of the Olympic Games."

It aimed to represent the allure of Chinese arts and culture and sought to symbolize the joining of all the world's culture, according to a statement on its official website.

Since the event kicked off in January, it has received nearly 10,000 artworks from artists of more than 40 countries and regions. About 800 of them are on display in the exhibition.

The event included a sports and art contest and 16 outstanding artworks from the contest would be on display as well.

The IOC first held the Olympic sports and art contest in Sydney for the 2000 Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2008)