"We have collected more than 1,000 pieces from the local primary schools, all done by our primary students," said Jiang Xiaofei, vice-chancellor of Shi Yan primary school in Nantong, "we brought about a hundred to London in the end, and each of them is full of Nantong style and Chinese style."

"All the works can convey our children's strong love toward life and their own understanding of art, and some of them are categorized as intangible cultural heritage like blue printed homespun, so I think it can not only show Nantong's development to the world, but also let our own children feel the beauty of art and make them more interested in Chinese traditional culture."

Chen Zhixiang, a teacher from Chinese embassy's Sunshine school, hosted the opening ceremony. He is the one who comes up with the idea of this exhibition when he brought Nantong's typical art education into his UK classes.

Chen said: "We hope to let more people, especially many Chinese in overseas companies, know more about the culture of our homeland and the life of our children."

Deputy director of Tongzhou Education Bureau, Hu Qinghua, said he believes the exhibition can epitomize the local art education, build up a bridge for the friendship between Chinese and British students and enhance the cultural exchange in both countries.

Calligraphy works by Chinese primary school students are shown on an art exhibition in London, UK on July 17, 2017. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]