The Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, in partnership with the Center for International Cultural Communication (CICG), will celebrate International Children’s Day on Monday, June 1, 2026, starting at 14:30, by organizing a cultural exchange activity dedicated to children and young people from Romania and China. The event will take place at the headquarters of ICR Beijing in Galaxy SOHO and aims to create a space for dialogue, imagination, and cultural closeness between the new generations of the two countries.
The program will include the drawing exhibition “With Sunshine on Our Cheeks • Let Us Draw Childhood Together”, created by 43 Chinese children aged between 8 and 10 and 11 Romanian children. The artworks, inspired by the world of childhood, friendship, and encounters between cultures, will be displayed throughout the entire month of June at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing. Through their spontaneity and sensitivity, the drawings offer a sincere perspective on the way children perceive the closeness between Romania and China through art and imagination.
The event will begin with a meeting and dialogue between the Romanian and Chinese representatives, followed by a guided tour of the institute and the exhibition, offering participants the opportunity for a first direct cultural encounter in a setting dedicated to artistic creation and cultural exchange. The activity aims to transform the ICR Beijing space into a meeting place of childhood, where artistic language becomes a natural form of communication and mutual discovery.
The artistic program will bring together six performances presented by Romanian and Chinese children, in a scenic dialogue built around music, poetry, and the traditions of the two cultures. The Chinese side will include dance and traditional guzheng recitals, featuring one of the most representative instruments of Chinese civilization, while the Romanian children will present poetry recitals and a traditional Romanian hora dance, offering the audience an image of the cultural heritage and artistic sensitivity specific to each tradition.
The event will also include an official ceremony for awarding diplomas and prizes offered by the Romanian and Chinese organizers for the selected artistic works, marking appreciation for the creativity and involvement of the participants. At the end of the program, the children will watch the animated short film “A Short History” (1956, 8 minutes) by Ion Popescu-Gopo, the first Romanian short film awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or trophy at the Cannes Film Festival. Through its universal humor and expressiveness, Gopo’s creation remains one of the essential works of Romanian and European animation.
The activity will conclude with the creation of a collective drawing dedicated to friendship and cultural dialogue between Romania and China, a work that will be offered to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing as a symbol of this meeting between children, cultures, and artistic sensibilities.
The project aims to encourage closeness between the new generations of Romania and China through art, music, and collective creation, offering children a shared space of imagination, friendship, and mutual discovery. The event will take place in the presence of representatives of the Embassy of Romania in the People’s Republic of China, through the participation of Minister Plenipotentiary Claudiu Florian.
The project’s main partner, the Center for International Cultural Communication(CICCG), operates under the coordination of China International Communications Group (CICG), one of the most important Chinese national institutions dedicated to international communication and cultural diplomacy. Founded in 1949, CICG brings together 21 affiliated organizations, 26 international offices in 14 countries, and publishes annually more than 3,000 titles in over 40 languages, distributed in more than 180 countries and regions. In this context, CICC develops international cultural projects, youth forums, artistic collaborations, and intercultural dialogue programs, playing an important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and the international community.
Detailed Program:
June 1 (Monday)
Guests and officials arrive at 14:20.
I. 14:20–14:30
Meeting and exchange of views between representatives of the two sides
(the Romanian side will provide translation)
II. 14:30–15:00
Andreea-Ema Stoian, Senior Relations Officer of ICR Beijing, will guide the guests, children, and young participants on a tour of the Romanian Cultural Institute, including a visit to the exhibition of selected artistic works.
15:00 — All guests take their seats and the activity officially begins.
III. 15:00–15:20
Artistic performances presented by Romanian and Chinese children
Opening dance presented by the Chinese side
Poetry recital in Romanian language
Choir performance presented by the Chinese side
Romanian song performance
Guzheng recital presented by the Chinese side
Traditional Romanian Hora dance
IV. 15:20–15:30
Official speeches
Mr. Claudiu Mihail Florian, Minister Plenipotentiary of Romania in China
(speech delivered in Romanian, with simultaneous Chinese translation)
Ms. Sun Ming, Director of the Cultural Communication Center within China International Communications Group
(the speech text will be translated into English and projected in PPT format)
V. 15:30–15:40
Brief presentation of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing by Andreea-Ema Stoian, Senior Relations Officer.
VI. 15:40–15:50
Certificate award ceremony for the selected artistic works
Representatives of the Romanian side:
Mr. Claudiu Mihail Florian, Minister Plenipotentiary of Romania in China
Mr. Liviu Țăranu, Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing
Representatives of the Chinese side:
Ms. Sun Ming, Director of the Cultural Communication Center
Mr. Su E, Deputy Director of the Cultural Communication Center
VII. 15:50–16:00
Screening of the Romanian animated short film awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes — A Short History
“A Short History” (1957) is the most famous animated film directed by Ion Popescu Gopo. The masterpiece brought Romania its first Palme d’Or trophy for short film at the Cannes Film Festival, marking a golden moment in Romanian cinema.
VIII. 16:00–16:20
Romanian and Chinese children draw childhood together
Under the guidance of coordinating teachers, Romanian and Chinese children will color and complete together a collective artwork filled with innocence, imagination, and hope.
IX. 16:20–16:40
Moments of free interaction, cultural exchange, and group photography
We warmly look forward to spending together an afternoon dedicated to childhood, friendship, and cultural dialogue!
