On October 22nd, the World Heritage in China and Chinese Handicrafts Exhibition was solemnly opened at the Art Gallery of Ruse-on-Danube, the fourth largest city in northern Bulgaria. Over 200 people are present at the opening ceremony, including government officials such as the governor of Ruse Province, college and high-school students, personages of press and cultural circles and friendly people in other fields.

The cultural attache of Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria and the curator of Ruse Art Gallery each make a speech at the ceremony. The cultural attache emphatically stated the Chinese government's policy to protect cultural relics and then gave a brief account of the history of Chinese handicrafts. He pointed out in particular that the Chinese government pays great attention to the protection and exploitation of cultural and natural heritage. The Chinese government hopes that, he said, by extensive cultural exchange among all the countries in the world, a mutual understanding of one another's traditional culture and scenic beauty will be fostered, and co-efforts made to protect and make rational use of the resources that cannot be regenerated. The curator of the Ruse Gallery expressed thanks to Chinese embassy for the show, which he said has opened a window for local people to better understand Chinese culture.

At the ceremony, a local Sinologist, who once studied in China, recited together with his students the Tang poet Li Bai's well-known quatrain A Tranquil Night, followed by the chairperson of the local Sino-Bulgaria Friendship Association and his students who performed Chinese martial arts, marking the climax of the ceremony.

On display at the exhibition are 57 photos taken by contemporary Chinese photographers based on the 27 sites entered into the list of world heritage. Also on display are some handicrafts. Visitors were full of praise for the grandeur of natural scenery, the uniqueness of historic relics and the exquisiteness of the handicrafts.

The Bulgarian National News Agency distributed special dispatches for the occasion. Reporters from local mass media including the TV Station, the broadcasting station and the press also covered the show.

The show was co-sponsored by the cultural department of Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria and the Ruse Art Gallery.