On the evening of May 15, 2019, President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, together with couples of foreign leaders attending the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC), attended the Asian Culture Carnival held at the National Stadium in Beijing.

Wang Huning attended the event.

In the first month of summer, Beijing is full of vitality. At nightfall, the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, was decorated with gorgeous lights and full of ebullient young people.

At 19:59 a.m., in the majestic music, President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, together with foreign leaders and their spouses including King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos of Greece, President Halimah Yacob of Singapore, President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, walked onto the rostrum.

Lights shining in the sky showed the countdown number and the audience shouted in unison: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! After that, the culture carnival themed "Celebration of Youth, Dream of Asia" kicked off.

Amidst warm applause, Xi Jinping delivered a speech. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi Jinping warmly welcomed the distinguished guests and artists from various countries. Xi Jinping pointed out that all Asian countries are home to ancient brilliant civilizations, which are unique themselves and remarkable as a whole and can also coexist with each other in harmony. The diversity of Asian civilizations makes the Asian culture richer, more colorful and more vibrant. Tonight, arts will transcend the boundaries of nations, touch people right in the heart and connect their minds, showing to the world a radiant, dynamic, peaceful and progressive Asia.

Xi Jinping emphasized that Chinese people had always championed the concept of benevolence and good neighborliness, as well as the idea that a good relative or neighbor shall hope for the best for the others. The Chinese people sincerely hope that all Asian countries could look after each other and ride on the same boat marching forward a long way to progress and developing ourselves along with the international trend, and also join hands to create a better future for Asia and the world.

Xi Jinping announced the start of the Asian Culture Carnival.

The melodious and grand music resounded through the night sky, and the giant logo of the CDAC appeared on the large screen with the image of blooming of the six-petal peonies, symbolizing the dialogue of Asian civilizations.

The carnival started with the electrifying interactive symphony chorus Our Asia. Young singers and symphony orchestras from different countries performed this theme song of the carnival together. On the stage, walking in the company of adolescent performers, young people from different Asian countries held high their national flags, presenting a sea of flags. Around the stage, representatives from all countries enjoyed a float parade. The dance Passion of Joy showed a good combination of the unique national dances of nine countries. The melodious song Breeze, Flowers and Neighbors expressed best friends' happiness of gathering together. Percussion music The Grand Regatta which was performed by percussionists from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea showed Asian people's high spirit in the endeavor of development. Hand posture dance Silk Road Blossoms described the history of the Silk Road from ancient to modern times and the bright vision of countries all over the world to build and share a future. Performance An Era of Prosperity showed vividly the beauty of the Peking Opera, the quintessence of Chinese culture. Famous Italian tenor Andrea Bochelli performed Nessun Dorma, an excerpt from the opera Turandot, with the accompaniment of Chinese symphony orchestras. The song and dance A Panorama of Asia included songs and dances with different styles from different countries. The Wushu performance The Charm of Chinese Ink Art expressed Chinese people's idea that harmony arises from the ability to appreciate different cultures for their unique beauty. The dance Happy and Auspicious conveyed blessings by the lithe and graceful posture of a peacock displaying its feathers and flying butterflies. The dance A Youthful Asia showed the fashion of young people and sang for the bright future. In the song Auld Lang Syne, artists from all countries sang and danced together with each other. The song and dance Guests from Afar, Please Stay performed by Chinese and foreign singers and dancers showed that we valued the friendship and would not forget our friends. The last chorus Splendor of Asia expressed the shared fate of the Asian people and the common voice of the dream of happiness and pushed the performance to a climax. The carnival came to an end in the persistent applause and music.

Tonight's Bird's Nest was full of passion and tonight's Beijing amazed the world!

Ding Xuexiang, Sun Chunlan, Yang Jiechi, Cai Qi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and others attended the event. Huang Kunming presided over the event.

Asian Culture Carnival is one of major and important events of the CDAC. Almost 30,000 people enjoyed this cultural feast on the spot.