Kazakh artist Assel Nurkenova shows her painting. [Photo/Tide News]

Artists from 14 countries visited the Liangzhu Museum and Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Oct 10, drawing inspiration from the region's 5,000-year-old civilization and natural landscapes as part of the "Art Tour of the Silk Road" program.

Kazakh artist Assel Nurkenova said the museum's architecture and ancient jade artifacts immediately sparked ideas for her sketches. At the park, she sat beside an ancient river channel to paint water lilies, birds, and other details of the natural surroundings.

Italian artist Donato Piccolo, who teaches new media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, described Liangzhu as a remarkable ancient city where art, nature, and technology converge. He said the visit offered an opportunity to explore how a civilization had endured for more than 5,000 years.

The "Art Tour of the Silk Road" is an international cultural exchange program launched in 2009 by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It has invited artists from more than 100 countries to explore China and participate in artistic exchanges.

Following visits to three World Heritage sites — Liangzhu Ancient City, West Lake, and the Zhejiang section of the Grand Canal — the artists will continue their work at the China Academy of Art. Their works will be exhibited at Liangzhu 5000+ Art and Innovation Park from Oct 18 to 31.