Roger Henri, a French painter and curator, addresses the main forum of the Lishui Barbizon International Symposium and 2019 Guyan Huaxiang Art Festival in Liandu district, Lishui city, Zhejiang province, on Aug 21. [Photo/WeChat account: liandufb] 

A forum discussing the role of art in driving forward rural revitalization was held in Liandu district, Lishui city, Zhejiang province, on Aug 21.

A major part of the Lishui Barbizon International Symposium and 2019 Guyan Huaxiang Art Festival, which opened a day earlier, the forum saw eight guests from home and abroad sharing their insights into the topic. They included Valettini Roberto, mayor of Aulla, Roger Henri, a French painter and curator, and Jean Louis Balandraud, former secretary-general of the national tourism department in France.

"The forum is good as it allows Chinese culture to communicate with foreign cultures and will help transform cultural values into economic benefits to drive local economic development," according to Roger Henri.　

Chen Yao, vice chair of Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles, lauded Liandu district's vigorous efforts in cultural development in recent years.

"Guyan Huaxiang town, as a cradle of the Lishui Barbizon school, a local school of painting based on the Barbizon school in France, inspires many painters and is a typical example of driving local development through culture," Chen added.

The forum also witnessed the announcement that Liandu district and Italy's Aulla have become sister cities, and Guyan Huaxiang has officially become a practice base for the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, an art college in Carrara, Italy.

Agreements on oil painting cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta region and between Liandu district and East China's various art schools were signed at the forum.

Valettini Roberto (left), mayor of Aulla, signs an agreement with an official of Lishui to establish friendship between Aulla and Liandu district. [Photo/WeChat account: liandufb]

Representatives of Guyan Huaxiang and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara agree to establish the town as the Italian school's practice base. [Photo/WeChat account: liandufb]