On January 21, 2016 local time, at the ancient Square of Luxor Temple, President Xi Jinping and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt together attended the celebration of the 60th anniversary of China-Egypt diplomatic relations and the opening ceremony of the China-Egypt Cultural Year 2016.

When President Xi Jinping arrived at the Luxor Temple, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted him at the parking place. Then the two heads of state visited the Luxor Temple along the main road, during which the Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Mohamed Gad Eldamaty of Egypt gave the introduction. President Xi Jinping and President Abdel Fattah al Sisi listened as they walked, talking glowingly about the characteristics of the two ancient civilizations and recollecting together the long-standing exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Egyptian civilizations.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Luxor is the epitome of ancient Egyptian civilization. Buildings of Luxor reflect the marvelous wisdom and scientific and technological level of ancient Egyptians. Both China and Egypt are ancient civilizations. Therefore, it’s necessary for us to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, deepen non-governmental friendship and consolidate public support for bilateral cooperation, so as to promote the common development and prosperity of both sides.

Abdel Fattah al Sisi expressed that President Xi Jinping’s visit to Luxor to attend related activities is a great support for Egypt. The Egyptian side is full of respect for the great Chinese civilization and full of admiration to the development achievements made by the Chinese people, and is willing to deepen the cultural exchanges between the two countries and be a sincere development partner of China forever.

At night, the Square of Luxor Temple, ablaze with lights and colors, was beaming with an atmosphere of jubilance and amity. On the stage, images of the Chinese red lanterns and the Egyptian pyramids added radiance and beauty to each other, presenting an interplay of Chinese and Egyptian civilizations high up in the air of Luxor.

At about 20:30, Xi Jinping and Abdel Fattah al Sisi stepped together into the scene of the opening ceremony, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Cultural Minister Hilmi al-Namnam of Egypt and Cultural Minister Luo Shugang of China made a speech successively and then together announced the launching of the China-Egypt Cultural Year 2016.

Xi Jinping and Abdel Fattah al Sisi, together with over 200 people from all walks of life of China and Egypt, watched the thematic performance “A Dialogue Between Two Great Civilizations ”jointly presented by Chinese and Egyptian cast members.

The performance began with ancient Chinese music “Ensemble of Bell and Chime Stone”, followed by the dance “Thousand-hand Bodhisattva” which implied that art treasures of Dunhuang, China, came to Egypt along the Silk Road. Then was the Chinese music piece “Melodies from the Night Fisherman” and the Egyptian music piece “Longa Dance Music” jointly played by the traditional musical instruments of the two countries, creating an affectionate melody. The acrobatic art “Acrobalance Between Man and Woman” showed the strength and beauty of life, while the ballets “Flower of Egypt” and “Wedding Pas de deux” displayed the artistic charm of ballet. Cooperating with the Egyptian symphony orchestra, a Chinese pianist performed “Defending the Yellow River”, the fourth movement of Chinese classic piano concerto “The Yellow River”, and the Egyptian piano music “Song of the Nile”. The performance ended with opera selections “Grand March” and “Nessun Dorma” jointly sung by artists from China and Egypt.

After the performance, Xi Jinping and Abdel Fattah al Sisi had a kindly meeting with the artists from both countries and congratulated them on their successful performance.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others attended the above-mentioned activities.

At about 17:30 that afternoon, Xi Jinping wrapped up the visit to Cairo and took the special plane to Luxor, carrying on his state visit to Egypt. When the special plane arrived at the Luxor International Airport, Cultural Minister Hilmi al-Namnam of Egypt, Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Hossam Kamal of Egypt and Governor of Luxor Mohammed Bader of Egypt greeted him at the airport.