Fu Daizhi, a 56-year-old fromNanjing City, JiangsuProvince, enjoys traveling to broaden her mind. But helping her son pay off his mortgage and not being as energetic as she was in her youth, means Fu is often limited in the type of trips she can take, and one of Fu's dream destinations, the African continent, has long been out of reach.

The second Nigerian Culture Week held inNanjingfrom October 15 to 18 presented Fu with an ideal opportunity to experience authentic African culture, without the need to travel thousands of miles away from home.

"This is the first time I personally watched the rhythmic, joyous African dance, saw the exquisite African art crafts and tasted authentic Dodo or fried plantain slices, nuts and beverages. Everything is so amazing," Fu toldChinAfrica.

The Nigerian Culture Week held by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation of Nigeria, sponsored byChina's Ministry of Culture and Nanjing Municipal Government, is a reflection of deepening cultural exchanges betweenChinaandNigeria.

Deeper involvement

With the deepening of China-Africa strategic partnership, cultural exchanges have expanded to local government involving ordinary people in the process.

"From the young African woman who appeared on a Chinese TV dating showFeicheng Wurao (If You are the One), to Chinese TV dramas likeA Beautiful Daughter-in-law EraandBeijing Love Storytranslated into Swahili and Hausa and aired on African TV, cultural exchanges between China and Africa are on the increase," said Song Yanqun, Director of African Affairs of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations with China's Ministry of Culture.

Edem Duke, Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation of Nigeria, sees culture as the most definitive elements of any people. "Technology will come and go, but culture is the vibrant essence that weaves people together," Duke said during the cultural week.

The past two years have witnessed a boom in cultural exchanges betweenChinaandNigeria. In May 2012,Nigeriabecame the first African nation to set up a culture center inChina. Reciprocally Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People'sCongress,China's top legislature, presided over the opening ceremony of the Chinese culture center inNigeriain September 2013. In October, a group of experts from Nanjing Museum traveled toLagosto train Nigerians on the preservation and restoration of cultural relics, whileNigeria's Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation led a culture delegation of 112 people toNanjing, presenting authentic Nigerian culture to ordinary Chinese. 

In Duke's eyes, it is not so much the desire for bilateral political relevance and economic benefit, but culture that brings the two nations close together. "Cultural beliefs are the building blocks for the relationship of our two nations," said Duke, adding that ordinary people see and feel the culture first, and this expression can be used as a tool of development by government leaders.

As for exchanges in training, "we have learned and gained knowledge and skills," Rosemary Bodam, Deputy Director of Museums National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, toldChinAfrica.

Chinese people also get to know aboutNigeriafrom events like the culture week. "We have an exhibition to portray every aspect of our culture," Keshi Ekundayo Queenolia, a cultural official for the Nigerian delegation, toldChinAfricaduring the Nigerian Culture Week. "We hope the event will give Chinese a chance to experienceNigeriawithout leavingChina." Queenolia invites more visitors to her country to experience the vitality of the culture through using the culture week as a springboard of understanding.

In the future, Duke hopes there will be more performing troupes from both countries giving reciprocal performances. He invites Chinese artists to come toAbujaand attend the carnival celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding ofNigerianext year.

Culture  attraction

BothChinaandNigeriasee the culture industry as a new frontier of economic growth. Duke said the Nigerian Government sees the tourism, culture and creative sectors as important for the economic diversification ofNigeria.

He hopes Chinese investors learned more aboutNigeriathrough the platform of the Culture Week and will invest in the culture industry. As the largest market in Africa, Duke is confident in the lucrative prospect of investing in his nation. "For a country of 117 million people, one attribute ofNigeriais that they spend a lot of money," he said. "They need places to enjoy recreation and they need places to go shopping," he added, noting thatNigeriais underserviced in the areas of hotel development, hospitality development, conferencing, destinations and shopping malls.

Besides the hospitality sector, there is also huge potential for cooperation in the industries of film, fashion and theater, said Duke. "We would like to work with Chinese partners to establish a duty-free zone for the culture industry and cooperate in terms of quality control, the ability for mass production as well as anti-privacy right," said Duke. "Through the cooperation, I hope Chinese companies will be the benchmark of the growth of the culture industry," added Duke.