In recent days, the 13th NEAR Youth Art Contest, organized by the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR), drew to a successful close. The event, serving as a vital platform for fostering cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among the youth of Northeast Asia, attracted nearly 1,000 young contestants from 37 sub-national governments across China, Japan, the ROK, Mongolia, and Russia.

As a flagship event for NEAR, the Youth Art Contest has seen Ningxia’s dedicated participation since 2016. Over the years, Ningxia has enabled nearly 1,000 sub-national young contestants to share their works on this international stage, telling the story of their hometown and strengthening the bonds of friendship across the Northeast Asia region. This year, eleven contest entries from Ningxia distinguished themselves in a highly competitive field. “Tokyo Scroll” by Dang Kefan captured the Silver Award, while “Overcome the Hard with the Soft” by Xu Ruoxi and “Fairy Tale Russia” by Han Yarui both earned Bronze Awards. The remaining eight pieces were honored as finalists. Through the universal language of art, the young contestants have not only showcased the unique allure of Chinese culture but have also built bridges of friendship and mutual understanding. Their contributions have been instrumental in advancing people-to-people exchanges and mutual trust throughout Northeast Asia, planting the seeds of peace and friendship in the hearts of a new generation.

This year marked the debut of the Outstanding Organization Award, created to recognize sustained excellence. Ningxia was selected for this honor based on a comprehensive assessment of its long-term participation, the quantity and quality of submitted works, and the contestants’ consistent award-winning success.