The anniversary of Shakespeare’s death is now over, but officially inspired adulation of Tang carries on. [...] Officials want to cultivate pride in Chinese literature, and boost foreign awareness of it. It is part of what they like to call China’s “soft power”.
 

Despite current tensions between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin—and opposition to the bill from groups like the Holocaust Art Restitution Project—the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act could mean the renewing of cultural exchange between the US and Russia.

The 2016 Chinese-Egyptian Culture Year drew to an end successfully as some 150 various kinds of cultural activities were held in both countries, which is seen as a breakthrough. In January 2016, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Chinese Embassy in Cairo launched the 2016 Sino-Egyptian Culture Year which marks the 60th anniversary of joint diplomatic relations.

Japanese Representative to Taiwan Mikio Numata yesterday said that he hoped Taipei and Tokyo could take their “best relationship” to the next level, as he unveiled the new doorplate for the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, which on Sunday changed its name from the Interchange Association, Japan.

Ambassador of Pakistan to France Moin ul Haque talking to Mayor of Paris 8, Jeanne d' Hauteserre on Tuesday said that people to people contacts will improve as Pakistan and France work for strengthening their cooperation in the area of culture, sports and education.

This year, Vietnam organized cultural exchanges, art exhibitions and Vietnamese cultural heritage days in many countries. Preparations for promoting Vietnamese culture at the APEC Summit 2017 in Vietnam were made. Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga is Senior Consultant to the Secretariat of APEC 2017: “As the host of APEC 2017, Vietnam aims to promote the image and culture of Vietnam, its soft power, tradition of humanity, and cultural values. 

When the Islamic State was about to be driven out of the ancient city of Palmyra in March [...] An architect by training, Ubelmann, 36, had worked in Syria before the country was engulfed by war. But now there was special urgency for the kind of work his youthful team of architects, mathematicians and designers did from their cramped offices in Paris: producing digital copies of threatened historical sites.

In Spain, for example, for every chime of the clock at midnight, people eat one grape. Each of the 12 grapes represents good luck for a month of the coming year, but only for those who can get them all in their mouths before the clock finishes striking. Here is a sampling of other traditions from around the globe that, like Spain’s grape-eating, have found their way to the United States.