A major Festival of Chinese Culture kicked off on Monday in Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval capital of Bulgaria, reports Xinhua. 

The week-long event, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria, is jointly organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Veliko Tarnovo (UVT), the Chinese Embassy in Sofia and the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo.

The aim of the festival is to popularize Chinese language and culture, make more and more children learn Chinese, and present the charm and magic of China, Iskra Mandova, director of the Confucius Institute at UVT, told Xinhua.

She confirmed that this was the first such event in Europe. "Here we are talking about a large-scale festival, with exhibitions and concerts, with the participation of professional performers, lecturers, professors and world-famous scientists," Mandova said.

The festival's program includes a Chinese Cinema Week, a Chinese crafts workshop and demonstrations of Chinese cuisine and martial arts, as well as dance and music performances.

Mandova highlighted the exhibition of Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Entitled "Mirror of Civilizations", it features 60 works by 12 prominent Chinese painters.

Liu Wenxi, a painter known for his depictions of Mao Zedong which appear on China's 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 20 yuan and 10 yuan notes, is among the featured painters. His daughter will also attend the festival, Mandova said.

The Confucius Institute at UVT was opened in October 2012. According to Mandova, with the institute's help, over 2,000 students are currently learning Chinese in over 40 educational institutions in 15 cities and towns in Bulgaria.

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