From 8 to 11 November Madame Wulan, Chairman of the Foreign Cultural Exchange Association of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, headed a delegation to Britain to attend the Inner Mongolian Culture Week.Theacappella concert "The Hometwon with White Clouds" and Inner Mongolia Oil Painting Exhibition "Grassland Impression " successively opened in London.

On the evening of 8 November Cadogan Hall that could accommodate 800 people were filled. The opening ceremony and first perform was held here. Youth chorus from Inner Mongolia National Song and Dance Troupe had their acappella performance entitled "The Hometwon with White Clouds".

Ambassador Fu Ying thanked Chairman Wulan for bringing beautiful music and paintings from the grasslands to London. She said that Mongolian nationality were a member of the Chinese nation. The economy of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region grew by 17% averagely in recent years, and the speed of growing is the fastest in China. Its experience showed that sustained and rapid economic development was the strong support of protection and development of ethnic culture. Various cultural forms including music, dance and painting showed their vitality and made further progress with economic development.

Fu Ying said that both China and Britain had splendid culture. People of the two countries had strong desire to know each other. Cultural exchange was exchange between souls and could go beyond barriers of languages. The concert "The Hometwon with White Clouds" was an example of such exchange between souls. She wished the performance a success.

Chairman Wulan introduced economic and social development of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and the Youth Chorus there. She said that local exchange between China and Britain was very dynamic in recent years, which had greatly promoted development of bilateral relations. The Inner Mongolian Culture Week, in the wake of the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics, was a continuation of the Olympic spirit "One world One dream" and a bridge of enhancing cultural exchange and friendly relations between the two peoples. She expressed her hopes and belief that the British people would be able to gain more knowledge of China, the Inner Mongolia and its grassland culture through the Week.

The Youth Chorus staged an excellent performance afterwards. 30 singers sang Mongolian folksongs with more voice parts including Genghis khan, Four Seas, Wild Goose, Camel Bells and Mongolian Boots. Their wonderful singing brought people to the vast grasslands. The male chorus Happy Nadamu showed the happiness and strength of Mongolian wrestlers. Many people moved with the rhythms and even some sang in a low voice together.

Apart from singing in Mongolian language, singers also sang in English, Chinese and even Suzhou dialect Daniel, Half Moon Coming up, Friends Meeting, Beautiful Grasslands are My Home, Jasmine Flower and Last Rose of Summer.

The Youth Chorus was one of the groups which are good at singing without music accompaniment. They travelled to many countries and regions to perform and were well received. On 8 and 9 November they had two performances in London. Before the performance and during the interval people could enjoy short video which introduced natural scenery of Inner Mongolia and purchase CDs of the Chorus.

On the evening of 10 November, "Grassland Impression –Inner Mongolia Oil Painting Exhibition" was launched at the headquarters of HSBC in London. Ambassador Fu Ying, Chairman Wulan, HSBC Chairman Stephen Green made short speeches respectively to congratulate on the opening of the exhibition.

Fu Ying thanked the artists for bring beautiful oil painting from the grassland to London. She said the paintings not only showed the skills of the painters but also brought people's life on the grassland to the audience in London. She expected and believed that oil painting from Inner Mongolia would travel abroad well and attract much audience abroad. Chairman Wulan presented oil painting works to HSBC. She said that the core of grassland culture was "Love for nature, opening and sincerity". Painters explained the profoundness of grassland culture with their paintings. She expressed her belief that they would be well liked by the British audience.

Stephen Green warmly welcomed Ambassador Fu Ying and Chairman Wulan to HSBC. He thanked Chairman Wulan for the paintings. He said HSBC was pleased to host the exhibition and ready to work for better cultural exchange between China and Britain and understanding between the Chinese and British people.

Nearly 200 people attended the opening of the exhibition and enjoyed the paintings with great interest.

Oil painting in Inner Mongolia developed rapidly these years. It began to travel abroad from 1990s. Its unique feature was highly appreciated. The exhibition showed 38 painting works from 26 painters, all of whom came from Inner Mongolia and is an epitome of "Style of Painting on Grasslands in Inner Mongolia". Wang Yanqing, the former head of Oil paintings by the Institute of Inner Mongolia grassland joined the exhibition with his paintings Competition, Hunter and Dog and Under the Sun. The exhibition would last till 21 November 2008.