Mexican children paint their vision of China in new exhibition

An exhibition of 148 paintings reflecting the perception of Chinese culture among Mexican children opened on Thursday at the National Museum of Cultures in Mexico City.

The third "China in my imagination" exhibition was organized by the Chinese embassy in Mexico and the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA).

Lin Ji, minister counsellor at the Embassy, said that 570 children from 22 primary schools in Mexico City took part and sent in their artwork.

The organizers picked 148 drawings to be shown in a room of the museum, next to the presidential palace in the city's historic center.

"The Mexican children learned about China's history, culture, traditions and customs during the drawing process, which contributes to the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Mexican people," said Lin at the opening of the exhibition, which saw the three best paintings rewarded.

Jessica, the 12-year-old winner of the competition, said that she wanted to reflect the origin of silk through the story of legendary Chinese empress, Leizu, who discovered silkworms when a cocoon dropped into her cup of tea.

Many of the paintings reflect aspects such as the Silk Road, cuisine, or ships ferrying goods between both lands.

"It is relevant to see how children conceive this millennial culture, how they think and imagine ties to China," said Margarita Villagómez, director of educational services at INBA. Endit