On the morning of August 17, sponsored by the Urumqi City Department of Cultural Affairs, “Asia's Heart – A Taste of Urumqi” photography exhibition will be opened at the Shanghai Library. This three-day cultural exchange activity will bring an enjoyment of visual art to the people of Shanghai. More than one hundred wonderful works of photographic art will fully demonstrate the charming scenery of endless grassland in the Gebi dessert, unbroken ranges of snow-capped mountains, dark green forests on the plateau and crystal blue lakes between heaven and earth. Through these vivid images, the people of Shanghai will enjoy a taste of the beauty of Xinjiang, the magnificence of the Tianshan Mountain and the sincerity of the Uighur people…. At the same time, they can also have a personal feeling of the Urumqi spirit and Urumqi features of "patriotic devotion, harmonious cooperation, innovative endeavor and excellent civilization", and cheer for the development of Xinjiang and the great changes of the western pearl of our motherland.

This photography exhibition is divided into three parts, including the Elegance of Asia’s Heart, the Customs of Asia’s Heart and the Scenery of Asia’s Heart. Zhao Chengan’s "Yili River", Li Qiang’s “Winter Desert”, Zhang Yuhe’s "the Dance of Ice River", Liu Zhendong’s "Spring Canyon" and etc. present from different angles the unique natural scenery, cultural landscape and folk customs of Urumqi as the geographic center of Asia, as well as its new achievements, new changes and new look in recent years in the political, economic, cultural and social life and urban and rural constructions. The exhibition has the rich flavor of the times, ethnic characteristics and geographical features. With the three mountain ranges (Tianshan Mountain, Altay Mountains and Kunlun Mountains) as the theme, the two basins (Tarim Basin and Junggar Basin) as creative element and the 13 main ethnic folk customs (including the Uygur, Kazak and Hui) as basis, the photographers display from multiple angles the unique intersection and integration of four cultural systems (Chinese, Indian, Greek and Islamic culture) on the land of Urumqi. Particularly, the Xinjiang wedding group photos taken by Guo Xiaodong, the number one photographer of the Xinjiang folk custom give the Shanghai people a vivid demonstration of the customs of the ethnic minorities living thousands of miles away, turning the passion and inspiration given by the extensive earth and sky of Xinjiang into the wilderness, vastness, generosity, enthusiasm and profoundness in the photos, expressing their quest for life, thinking about life and dreams for the future. 

The photos on displays are selected from the works solicited for the “Asia's Heart – A Taste of Urumqi” photography exhibition since January 2012. The purpose is to promote Xinjiang and the achievements in reform of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, through the simple visual form. The six-month solicitation of photos obtained widespread concern and enthusiastic participation of photographers of all ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region, and received more than 3,000 photographic works, from which 120 outstanding works are selected for this exhibition. The exhibition was first held in Urumqi, where it gained full recognition and praises from experts and the general public, resulting in a very good response.

The Shanghai Library is an important cultural station for supporting Xinjiang. After eight lectures give by cultural celebrities in July asking for "book donation in support of Xinjiang’s cultural construction”, the library is now in the process of delivering 5,000 high-quality books to Xinjiang. In August, the Shanghai Library will again join forces with the Urumqi City Department of Cultural Affairs to give a photography exhibition showing the contrast of past and present, in order to demonstrate the new achievements since the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", especially the achievements in supporting Xinjiang, and allow the Shanghai residents to personally perceive the great changes brought by the reform and opening up to Xinjiang, understand the importance the state government attaches to Xinjiang, especially the support given in the fields of economy and people's livelihood, present the advantageous resources of Urumqi in tourism, culture and other aspects, publicize the achievements of Urumqi in political, economic, cultural and other aspects in recent years, and further strengthen and expand cultural exchanges and cooperation with important cultural cities, in order to promote the prosperity and development of the cause of socialist culture.