Poster for the 2024 Silk Road Week. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2024 Silk Road Week event will commence on June 19, according to a press briefing held at the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on June 7.

The Silk Road Week is a cultural exchange event jointly organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government. It has been held for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023, receiving wide attention and enthusiastic responses both domestically and internationally.

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, this year's Silk Road Week invited France as the honored guest country, with Shaanxi province as the guest province.

Ji Xiaofen, director of China National Silk Museum, unveiled the event's highlights, including two fascinating exhibitions held in the museum — Heavenly Palace: Chang'an on the Silk Roads and Lyon in the 18th Century: the Prosperity of the Silk Capital in the Age of Enlightenment.

With the focus shifted from Dunhuang at last year's event, the first exhibition will spotlight Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and explore its ties to Zhejiang. It will feature a total of 210 exhibits, several of which are coming to Zhejiang for the first time, according to Ji.

Lyon-style silk fabric patterns displayed at the exhibition Lyon in the 18th Century. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The second exhibition introduces models of 18th-century urban architecture in France, silk fabrics and garments, furniture, and other exhibits, showcasing the economic, social, and fashion development of France. It also reflects Chinese-Western cultural exchanges through the Chinese style in French painting and clothing.

Furthermore, Silk Road Week also includes international academic activities, a digital museum curatorial competition, as well as a fashion show and an intangible cultural heritage exhibition to be held in France.

The press briefing concluded with an unveiling ceremony for the exhibition Lyon in the 18th Century, setting a prelude for the Silk Road Week. The exhibition will run until Sept 6.