A weeklong international film festival about folk and custom along the ancient Silk Road will be held from May 24 to 30 in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province and the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

Organized by the National Tourism Administration, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Shaanxi government, about 20 films made by Italy, Russia and India will be displayed to show the charm of the Silk Road from a variety of perspectives.

There will be a number of activities relating to film and TV exchanges, including screenplay trading and an introduction to overseas film rights.

The ancient Silk Road started from Chang'an (now Xi'an), capital of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD). It was a cultural exchange and trading road from ancient China to the Roman Empire, with a total length of more than 7,000 miles.

Contact the writers at luhongyan@chinadaily.com.cn and malie@chinadaily.com.cn