The Fifth Silk Road Friendship Ceremony is held on August 4 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Photos by Shenzhen Media Group and Dolon Group LLC)

Bishkek (People's Daily) - The Fifth Silk Road Friendship Ceremony was held on Tuesday in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, marking the first time the event has taken place outside China.

Salkyn Sarnogoeva, deputy minister of culture, information and youth policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, delivers a welcoming address at the Fifth Silk Road Friendship Ceremony, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 4.

He Jianzhong, vice chairman of the China International Culture Exchange Center, and Xu Lijing, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily, delivered video remarks at the event. Salkyn Sarnogoeva, deputy minister of culture, information and youth policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, attended the ceremony.

The event was jointly hosted by the China International Culture Exchange Center, Global People magazine and the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shenzhen Municipal Committee.

More than 200 participants attended the event, including 10 groups of this year's Silk Road Friendship Ambassadors from various countries, representatives of previous Silk Road Friendship Ambassadors and friends from China and abroad who support Belt and Road cooperation.

The Fifth Silk Road Friendship Ceremony takes place at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Bishkek.

The ambassadors shared personal stories spanning mountains and seas, making Belt and Road cooperation more tangible and accessible to people. Their stories also injected fresh momentum into strengthening people-to-people ties and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

During the event, artists from Kyrgyzstan staged three performances. Models from China and Kyrgyzstan jointly presented the "China-Kyrgyzstan Fashion Show: Xiangyunsha on the Silk Road," a runway showcase blending tradition with the future. The launch ceremony for "Shenzhen: A Silk Road Friendship City" was also held. Meanwhile, People's Cultural Creative presented an exhibition featuring its signature media-themed cultural products alongside items inspired by traditional Chinese culture.