Youth from Ningbo in China, Nara in Japan and Jeju in South Korea explore music creation and calligraphy via a video link on Aug 28. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

An annual cultural exchange event designed to strengthen cultural exchanges among youth from China, Japan and South Korea opened in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Aug 28.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was moved online this year. Youth from Ningbo, Nara in Japan and Jeju in South Korea will jointly explore music creation and calligraphy via video conferences.

Twelve students from schools in Ningbo including Xiaoshi Middle School, Ningbo No.2 Middle School, Zhenhai Middle School, Ningbo University, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo Institute of Technology signed up for the activity, which is slated to run till November.

The cultural exchange event has been held annually since 2016, when Ningbo, Nara and Jeju were selected as East Asia Cultural Cites, according to Qiu Jinyue, deputy head of Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism.

The East Asia City of Culture program was first proposed by the cultural ministers of China, Japan and South Korea during the third ministerial conference in Nara, Japan in January 2011. The program aims to promote cultural diversity in East Asia and allow the three countries to foster mutual understanding and a sense of unity in the region.