Visitors view posters with some of the images and texts included in the book "101 Paintings from Bulgaria" at its launch in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 16, 2025. The launch event for the bilingual book "101 Paintings from Bulgaria" was held at the Confucius Institute in Sofia here on Thursday. The book features 101 images of Bulgaria's most significant historical and architectural landmarks, depicted in traditional Chinese paper-cutting by a young Chinese artist, with accompanying texts in both Chinese and Bulgarian. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

SOFIA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The launch event for the bilingual book "101 Paintings from Bulgaria" was held at the Confucius Institute in Sofia here on Thursday.

The book features 101 images of Bulgaria's most significant historical and architectural landmarks, depicted in traditional Chinese paper-cutting by a young Chinese artist, with accompanying texts in both Chinese and Bulgarian.

It is a result of creative collaboration between the Confucius Institute in Sofia and the Institute of Balkan Studies, and the Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Although the book is still being printed, guests viewed a short video introduction and an exhibition of posters featuring selected works.

Zhang Yanbo, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, called the project "a vivid embodiment" of the Global Civilization Initiative, illustrating Bulgarian culture through the lens of Chinese paper-cutting art.

Georgi Valchev, rector of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", praised the collaboration, expressing hope for more such academic exchanges in the future.

Ding Hao, vice-president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, highlighted the book's creative concept as "a practical example of deep dialogue between Chinese and Bulgarian civilizations."