The opening ceremony of the Silk Road International Film Festival was held in Xi'an on Sept.20, 2014. [photo/sxdaily.com.cn]

XI'AN -- The Silk Road International Film Festival opened in Xi'an on Monday, aiming to promote cultural exchanges among countries along the proposed modernized version of the ancient trade route.

The seven-day event is the country's third international film festival, following the ones in Beijing and Shanghai.

"The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" will link China and Europe, one through Mid Asia on land and the other through Southeast Asia by sea.

The film festival will be held annually. Its first edition is being hosted by the northwestern city of Xi'an, which was once the city of Chang'an, capital of China's Tang Dynasty and the eastern destination of the Silk Road.

A total of 147 foreign and domestic films -- features and documentaries -- will be screened in Xi'an, according to the organizer.

The films are from Asian and European countries including China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, Georgia and France. Four U.S. films will also be screened.

Industrial forums have also been scheduled during the festival.

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