"Childish the artworks may seem," Hu added, "but they demonstrate the love toward the home country, the wish for world peace and the pursuit for a better life."

"It's so impressive! I'm thinking oh my goodness it's another world!" said Synnove Engeset, one of the visitors from Norway. "I have been to China quite a few times. I used to be an actress and I'm interested in art as well, but this is so interesting because it's a real thing and it's done by children!"

The ceremony ended with a show of tea art, performed by a student from Nanjing Normal University, where purple clay pots were presented to all the guests.

Shen Yingwen, executive director from Phoenix Publishing and Media Group and Xie Guiquan, chief of London Chinatown Chinese Association also attended the ceremony.

Zhang Yangfei in London contributed to this story.