Mauritians take selfies at an event to pay tribute to Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu and English poet and playwright William Shakespeare at the China Cultural Center in Mauritius, Dec 4, 2016. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Appreciating art through dialogues between East and West

To facilitate understanding between different art forms and cultures, the Chinese Culture Ministry also hosts events in its cultural centers to bridge dialogues between works of Chinese art legends and their counterparts in foreign countries.

In 2016, for example, an array of cultural events, including seminars, forums and performances, were held across the world to mark the 400th death anniversary of celebrated Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu (1550-1616) and English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright, hailed by his followers as "China's William Shakespeare", composed more than 2,000 poems and essays in his lifetime. He is particularly remembered for four plays - The Peony Pavilion, The Purple Hairpin, Record of the Southern Bough, and Record of Handan.

The idea of commemorating the two late masters came from a speech by President Xi. When Xi visited Britain in 2016, he called on both countries to "celebrate the legacy of these two literary giants, in order to promote interpersonal exchanges and deepen mutual understanding".