A series of cultural activities will kick off a year of cultural exchanges between China and Egypt in late January, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The opening ceremony, featuring top performances from the two sides, will be held in Luxor, Egypt, said Chinese cultural ministry official Lu Yanfei at a press conference on Monday.

Other cultural activities during the period will include tourism promotion, food carnivals and cultural relic exhibitions.

Ahmed Rezk, the Egyptian ambassador to China, said he hopes the culture year can help boost the long-term development of cultural exchanges and friendship.