Cai Yingbo

AFTER visiting two subvenues of the ICIF, Guanlan Print Base in Bao'an District and Dafen Oil Painting Village in Longgang District, Mahamouda Ahmed Gass, Ethiopia's minister of culture and tourism said he was deeply impressed.

"I have never known Shenzhen has huge collection of arts, and I am so impressed by the print-making and oil pantings that I saw in the past two days," said Gass, who has brought his wife and 15-month-old grandson to Shenzhen to attend the ICIF.

"Africa also has some good arts and crafts, but we need China to help us with skills which could improve our packaging and promotion,"said Gass, who is visiting the city for the first time."It makes me respect Chinese people's attitude to arts after seeing the works created by Chinese artists," said Gass, adding people appreciate art in China.

Gass said the first cultural industry and intellectual property rights event was held in Ethiopia in April last year, and he was attending the ICIF to learn from Shenzhen about how to develop the cultural industry in Ethiopia.