Xinjiang to hold biennial intl art expo

A biennial international art expo will be held in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a variety of artistic collections from 18 countries to be displayed, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The exhibition, to be held in the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center in Urumqi, the regional capital, will feature masterpieces by domestic artists like Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong, according to the regional Department of Culture.

The event, the first of its kind in the region, is an attempt to beef up international exchanges and boost Xinjiang's cultural development, according to the department.

It is scheduled to run from June 25 to July 20.