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Table 2 Distribution of immovable national cultural heritage in various states

表3 2011～2020年不可移动国家文化遗产数量变动

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Table 3 Changes in the number of immovable national cultural heritage sites from 2011 to 2020

In March 2020, the Slovak Ministry of Culture launched a national cultural heritage reconstruction project with a total amount of 5 million euros. It spent 800000 euros to restore the National Opera House in Banska Bistrica, 1 million euros to rebuild the Citizen's House as the Banska Bistrica National Science and Technology Library, 1.7 million euros to fully restore the Karasnahorka Castle, and 1.5 million euros to restore the Spisz Castle. In addition, the basic protection work of national cultural relics is undertaken by the owners of the relics, who need to make reasonable use of the value of the relics and manage and maintain them regularly. In addition to stipulating the obligations of the owners of historical sites, the Law on the Protection of Historical Sites also grants them certain rights. The "Obnovme si svoj dom" subsidy program of the Ministry of Culture provides financial support to the owners of historical sites.

In recent years, the Monuments Office has been committed to nominating the "Roman Empire Boundary Wall" (Hranice Ř í msk é ř í š e-Dunajsk ý Limes) to the UNESCO The World Heritage List. According to the recommendations of the International Council on Monuments and Sites consultation meeting in November 2019, the Antiquities and Monuments Office made modifications to map materials, relevant data, and the scope of nominated sites. The revised materials were resubmitted to the World Heritage Center on January 29, 2020. The World Heritage Committee was originally scheduled to review the nomination of heritage sites at its meeting in early July 2020, but due to the COVID-19, the meeting was cancelled and the nomination review was temporarily suspended.

（3） The protection of traditional folk culture and intangible cultural heritage is gradually progressing

The Slovak government vigorously promotes the development of local traditional folk culture and explores its inherent value. In January and February 2020, with the support of the Slovak Ministry of Culture, the National Enlightenment Center (N á rodn é osvetov é centrum), in collaboration with folk orchestras and cultural associations, organized a series of charity folk music concerts: the "Folkl ó r-du š a Slovenska" event held in Liptovskimkuras, the "Pocta folkl ó ru v srdci Slovenska" event held in Banska Bistrica, the "Folkl ó r š it ý do kr á sy" event held in Pukhov, and The Folkl ó r lie č i event held in Pieszjani, aimed at healing the soul. The final event of the series showcased folk music and dance from the western region of Slovakia to the audience. All ticket revenues from the above cultural activities are donated to organizations dedicated to children's cancer treatment and anti rheumatic disease treatment.

The subsidy for the "Folk Culture - Soul of Slovakia" event has been increased again, with a total amount of 1.5 million euros provided to support activities in the field of traditional Slovak culture. Professional or amateur art groups can apply for a maximum of 60000 euros in funding. The funds can be used for new performance creation, clothing purchase, CD distribution, as well as travel expenses for tours and related promotional materials. Independent folk artists can apply for a maximum prize of 5000 euros for the publication of works in the field of traditional culture or the creation of artistic handicrafts.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19, the Folkl ó rny festival V ý chodn á, originally scheduled to be held from July 2 to 5, 2020, was postponed to August 2021. In addition, the "Dni Majstrom" series of activities held annually in September have been cancelled, and only the title awarding ceremony has been retained. On September 4, 2020, the Folk Art Creation Center awarded the title of "Master of Folk Handicrafts" to five individuals: Pavel Ferdinand, Ivan Klu č iar, Jana Majersk á, Anna Suha, and Florian Š avrtka. Their unique performance in traditional handicraft production has made outstanding contributions to the inheritance of Slovak folk art, thus earning them an honorary title.

In recent years, the Slovak Ministry of Culture has implemented the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, achieving certain results in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. Starting from May 1, 2010, the Center for Traditional Folk Culture (Centrum pre tradi č n ú l'udov ú kult ú ru) began operating as an independent branch of the Slovak Folk Art Association (Slovensk ý l'udov ý um ě leck ý kolekt í v), mainly responsible for the protection and inheritance of traditional folk culture, as well as external promotion.

On December 18, 2020, the Minister of Culture of Slovakia, Nat á lia Milanov á, announced the addition of three traditional crafts to Slovakia's "National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" and an event that was included in the list of excellent practices for national protection of intangible cultural heritage. Kraslice z Pochlina Easter egg is a village located in the northwest of Novohrad region. The local people use ancient and traditional techniques to make Easter eggs, and the egg patterns are mostly simple geometric shapes and plant painting styles; Gajdica, a folk instrument originating from Kamenica and L ú č ka villages, is used to play pastoral songs; The decorative patterns of Č ataj and Vel'k ý Grob are brightly colored and ingeniously designed, often used in clothing embroidery, as well as in mural decoration or fabric design. The Night at the Orava Village Museum (Ve č er v M ú zeu oravskej dediny) was proposed by the Jano š t í n family of Zuberec to design an immersive night tour route for visitors, showcasing the representative elements of the region's material and spiritual civilization to the fullest extent possible.

（4） Strengthen the connection between culture and education

On June 1, 2020, Natalia Milanova, Minister of Culture of Slovakia, and Branislav Gr ö hling, Minister of Education, Research and Sports, held a meeting on the occasion of International Children's Day. Both sides discussed how to strengthen the connection between culture and education, better utilize the diverse cultural and entertainment activities provided by various cultural institutions, and increase public participation. Both ministers agreed to devote themselves to inspiring the younger generation's interest in culture.

In 2020, the Slovak Ministry of Culture continued to issue "cultural vouchers" (Kult ú rne poukazy), which were quantitatively distributed to teachers and students in 2861 primary and secondary schools. Vouchers can be used in cultural venues such as theaters, museums, art galleries, and cultural centers, offsetting a portion of the admission fee based on the face value of the voucher. The Ministry of Culture provides a total of 1824731 euros in subsidies to cultural institutions that receive vouchers throughout the year. This project provides opportunities for children, youth, and educators to explore cultural values and create opportunities for more cultural institutions to participate in the education and training of students, promoting cultural institutions to continuously improve their activity quality in competition with each other. In addition, the use and recycling of vouchers can help conduct research on the interests and cultural participation of children and adolescents.

Since its establishment, Bibiana International Children's Art Museum (Medzin á rodn ý dom umenia pre deti) has been committed to improving the level of children's illustration book creation and supporting children's literature creation. With the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education, Research and Sports, the Art Museum collaborated with the University Library of Bratislava (Univerzitn á kni ž nica v Bratislava) to organize and prepare a "Language Family Atmosphere" (Jazyk ako priestor domova) conference on February 14, 2020. The conference aims to highlight the importance of mother tongue as the primary communication tool in families, and to view mother tongue education from the perspective of the influence of children's internal cognitive establishment, and to regard it as a key factor in children's social and psychological development. In addition, the art institution held a series of 23 themed seminars for young children, parents, preschool teachers, and librarians, including "Exploring the Sea of Books" (Č í tame v pries tore knihy), "Opening the Door to Reading" (Br á na knihy otvoren á), "Take a Look!" (Nakukni!), "Don't Be Afraid of Reading" (Nebojsa v knihe), and "The Fun of Reading" (Advok á ti č í tania). The activity is rich in content, covering topics such as stimulating children's interest in reading, cultivating reading habits, using illustrations to guide correct reading, and cultivating children's narrative abilities.

（5） Vigorously develop online cultural activities

On March 7, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was found in Slovakia, and then the number of new cases rose rapidly. On March 15th, the Slovak government declared a state of emergency and implemented a series of prevention and control policies. During the peak of the epidemic, all public cultural venues such as exhibition halls, museums, theaters, and libraries were temporarily closed to the public, and almost all cultural activities from March to April were cancelled. Since May, performance venues such as theaters and cinemas have gradually resumed opening, but the government has imposed unified restrictions on the number of consumers received and the physical distance between consumers. Due to the fluctuation of the epidemic and different restriction standards in the second half of 2020, cultural and entertainment venues have not been able to return to normalcy.

In response to the COVID-19, the folk cultural organization "Kultur. FM" launched the "Aby kult ú ra ∨ ila" initiative to organize a series of online concerts. In order to help artists in need survive the most challenging period, the online concert ticket income will be distributed to applicants in the form of bonus after the selection by the committee.

At the same time, the Slovak Ministry of Culture actively utilizes new media methods to innovate cultural activity forms, expand the scope of activities involved, and enhance the possibility of cultural enthusiasts utilizing cultural resources during epidemic prevention and control. Under the authorization of the Ministry of Culture, the National Enlightenment Center has collaborated with other cultural institutions to launch the "Vibrant Art World" (Online Ž iv é um ě n í) project and built an "online visitor" (navstevnik. on line) platform. The project uses online space to promote art activities, so that everyone can enjoy theatre performances and concerts without restrictions during the special period of COVID-19. The institutions involved in the initial stage of the project include the Slovak National Theatre (Slovensk é n á rodn í divadlo) under the Ministry of Culture, Š t á tne divadlo Ko š ice, Divadlo Nov á sc é na, Š t á tny komorn ý orchester Ž ilina, and Š t á tn á opera Bansk á Bystrica. The project includes three major categories of performances: drama, concerts, and dance performances. Viewers can purchase electronic tickets based on the performance schedule provided on the electronic portal.

表4 “生机勃勃的艺术天地”演出情况

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Table 4 Performance of "Vibrant Art World"

In 2020, various cultural institutions are also focusing on improving virtual exhibition technology and enriching the content of online exhibits. On February 9, 2020, the Slovak National Museum added a section called "Blog-m ú zeum online" on its official website. This column supplements audio and video introductions, as well as visualized 360 ° panoramic images, to the existing electronic databases of exhibits and exhibition halls based on text and image information. On November 14, 2020, the Slovak National Museum collaborated with 20 cultural institutions in Bratislava to hold the "Noc m ú ze í a g á leri í 2020 online" event. The focus of the event is the display of museum artifacts and artworks, and it will be conducted in the form of virtual exhibitions, audio and video lectures, seminars, game segments, and fun Q&A.

Characteristics of Slovakia's Cultural Exchange with Foreign Countries in 2020

The Slovak government attaches great importance to the role of cultural diplomacy in shaping the country's image. In 2020, Slovakia will focus on improving the conceptual planning of implementing the cultural strategy, coordinate the allocation of financial resources to improve the level of cultural openness, systematically display Slovak culture and art through the European Union, Visegrad Group and other international organizations, and actively respond to China's "the Belt and Road" initiative to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries. There are three specific characteristics.

（1） Actively participate in cultural projects within the framework of the European Union

Slovakia attaches great importance to the exchange and dialogue between different cultures on the EU platform, aiming to strengthen the promoting role of culture in creativity, development, and employment. In 2014, with the full launch of the EU Cultural Fund project "Creative Europe", Slovakia's Cultural Liaison Office (Kult ú rny kontaktn ý bod Slovensko) and Media Office (MEDIA Desk Slovensko) merged to form the Slovak "Creative Europe Desk Slovensko".

The year 2020 is the end of "Creative Europe", but the spread of COVID-19 has curbed the vitality of cultural and creative industries. In this extremely challenging year, Slovakia actively applied for the "Media" sub project (MEDIA) of the project and received nearly 1 million euros in funding, which is the highest funding amount Slovakia has received in nearly 5 years.

表5 2014～2020年“创意欧洲”对斯洛伐克项目支持情况

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Table 5: Support for Slovak Projects by "Creative Europe" from 2014 to 2020

With the support of the "Kult ú ra" sub project, the "Songs for Europe" project has been launched, covering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Romania, Switzerland, and Slovakia, promoting exchanges and cooperation in regional children's music education; The Comenius University in Bratislava (Univerzita Komensk é ho v Bratislava) collaborates with multiple cultural institutions in Spain to participate in the "European Network of Storytelling Towns" project, promoting the dissemination of cultural stories among the younger generation, strengthening cultural partnerships between European cities, and enhancing citizens' sense of belonging to public spaces; Slovakia, Italy, and Germany are collaborating to participate in the "European Crossborder Youth to Promote Hip Hop, Equality, and Roots" project, providing an artistic expression platform for young artists, supporting the development of hip-hop music festivals, and combining elements such as rap, graffiti, rap, disc cutting, and skateboarding art to explore cultural and architectural heritage from a new perspective; Slovakia participates in the "MusXchange 2020-2022" project initiated by Austria to promote cross-border exchanges among musicians and support the career development of professional and amateur artists. Among the four projects mentioned above, Slovakia received a total of approximately 84000 euros in funding.

Another major project of the European Union to promote the process of European cultural integration is the "European Capitals of Culture". In 2013, Ko š ice, as the first Slovak city to become the European Capital of Culture, used the EU platform to promote its cultural and creative products to the outside world, increasing its international visibility and having a positive impact on the city's economic development. The title of "European Capital of Culture in 2026" will be shared between cities in Slovakia and Finland. In December 2019, the Slovak Ministry of Culture launched the application process for the "2026 European Capital of Culture" and called on all municipal governments interested in participating in the project to submit their applications. Culture Minister Natalia Milanova emphasized that "cities interested in applying for the European Capital of Culture in 2026 should highlight innovation, intelligence, and green themes in their projects." In December 2020, the project solicitation activity ended, and cities such as Bansk á Bystrica, Hlohovec, Martin, Nitra, Pre š ov, Tren č í n, Trnava, and Ž ilina responded to the applications.

The EU has always attached great importance to the protection of cultural heritage. In 2020, the Slovak Ministry of Culture, the Slovak Antiquities Office, and the Slovak National Museum jointly organized the "European Cultural Heritage Day" (Dni eur ó pskeho kult ú rneho dedi č stva) event under the guidance of the European Union. The event opened on September 8, 2020 in Pie š t'any and lasted for nearly a month. Around the theme of "Heritage and Education" (Dedi č stvo a vzdelanie), about 300 events including speeches, exhibitions, and competitions were held to raise public awareness of European culture and lead Europeans to trace their common historical memory while respecting cultural diversity.

（2） Deepen bilateral and multilateral cultural cooperation, broaden channels for cultural exchange with foreign countries

Visegrad Group was founded in 1991 and is a regional organization that combines political and cultural significance. On June 24, 2020, the 30th Cultural Ministers' Meeting of the Visegrad Group was held online. The main topic of the meeting was "the impact of the COVID-19 on culture and creative industries". The meeting focused on the major measures taken by the most affected regions and the four countries for various cultural industries. The ministers emphasized the crucial role of the International Visegrad Fund in cultural cooperation, and will seek the most effective solutions through mutual reference to promote the revitalization of the cultural industry. Visegrad Group will continue to fully support joint projects, such as cultural heritage protection, audio-visual arts industry, cultural digitization and other areas of cooperation and exchange. The nomination for the 2019 Visegrad International Award was also approved at the meeting, and the main organizer of the Visegrad Film Forum will be awarded the award at the 2021 conference. In 2021, which marks the 30th anniversary of the organization's establishment, the Polish Association of Graphic Designers, in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized the "V4 30th Anniversary Poster Competition" (S ú t'a ž plag á tov k 30. v ý ro č iu vzniku V4) from September to November 2020 to prepare for a series of subsequent celebration events. After selection, Veronika Barrera, Peter Chmela, and Peter Eli áš from Slovakia were awarded the Excellence Award. The works of artists full of creativity and imagination reflect the vitality of the Visegrad Group, and the dialogue between cultures will continuously push cooperation between regional countries to new stages.

In terms of cultural heritage protection, the 11th Summer Symposium on "World Cultural Heritage Management in V4 Territories" (Akad é mie dedi č stva kraj í n V4: Anna ž ment SKD v krajin á ch V4) was held from June 15 to 21, 2020 in Krakow, Poland, and Spiszkopold Hradej and Lavocha, Slovakia. The academic conference brought together cultural heritage protection experts from the four countries. The working group reached a consensus at the meeting and wrote a joint report to evaluate the cooperation in cultural heritage management and protection of V4 Group since its establishment. The evaluation report will further promote member states with similar cultural backgrounds to learn from each other's experiences in cultural heritage protection legal construction, supervision and management.

Shortly after the end of the ministerial meeting, Natalia Milanova, the Minister of Culture of Slovakia, visited the Czech Republic and met with Lubom í r Zaor á lek, the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, on June 30th. Based on the 2002 agreement between the governments of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic on the joint ownership, management, and use of the exhibition hall in Venice, the two sides discussed the reconstruction and restoration work of the Czech Slovak Biennial Exhibition Hall in the Napoleon Gardens in Venice. Zaoralek affirmed the establishment of public cultural funding subsidy projects in Slovakia, such as the Fond na podporu umenia, Audiovizu á lny fond, and the Fond na podporu kult ú rny n á rodnostn ý ch men š in. He also called for the establishment of similar funding mechanisms in the Czech cultural community. During the visit, the Czech National Museum held an event titled "Milan Rastislav Š tef á nik: General Liberator" Milan Nova attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition commemorating the 140th anniversary of the birth of Gener á l-Osloboditel. Stefanik was a Slovak politician and diplomat. During World War I, he led the Czechoslovak army in combat and made outstanding contributions to safeguarding the sovereignty of Czechoslovakia. Milanova delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, saying, "Today, Stefanik has come to the Czech Republic, to Prague in Masaryk and Benes. At least in our imagination, the founders of our once common democratic country will meet again

Poland, another neighboring country of Slovakia, is also an important ally in its cultural strategy. The two governments signed the "Agreement on Cultural, Educational, and Scientific Cooperation between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of Poland" on March 23, 2000, and the "2015-2018 Cooperation Plan between the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland" on October 9, 2015. From 2019 to 2023, the Slovenian Theatre Research Institute (Slovinsk ý divadeln ý in š tit ú t), the Polish Bigniewa Raszewskeho Theatre Research Institute (Divadeln ý in š tit ú t Zbigniewa), and the Slovak Theatre Research Institute jointly organized the "Classics in the Graphic Novel: A pilot model of new high school culture education through graphic novels" project, which was funded by the EU's "Creative Europe" program. In 2020, the project entered the key research stage, and the research team actively prepared for the publication of famous drama works such as "Antigone", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Foolish King" comic books and picture books. Slovakia has made new progress in the secondary creation of Romeo and Juliet. From October to December 2020, the Mestsk á kni ž nica mesta Pie š t'any Municipal Library exhibited some of the artistic works of the student work group of the Š kola umeleck é ho priemyslu Josefa Vydru School of Art and Industry. The collaboration between visual artists, picture book writers, and middle school students endows the content of drama picture books with interest and narrative value, bringing the younger generation closer to drama works. This integration of picture book reading into drama education also opens up new avenues for cross departmental and interdisciplinary artistic creation.

The external promotion of Slovak culture is not limited to cooperation within sub regional groups. In the academic year 2020 – 2021, Slovakia sent excellent Slovak language and culture lecturers to 22 universities or language institutions in more than 10 countries, including China, Germany, France and Hungary, to enhance cultural exchanges between Slovakia and people around the world and enhance their understanding of Slovakia. The Komisia SLOLIA has funded a total of 54 Slovak literary publishing projects translated into 20 foreign languages, including Albanian, English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian. In the audio-visual industry, due to the COVID-19, most overseas tour activities were canceled. Slovak musicians and bands participated in online or offline music festivals organized by institutions in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, Austria, Russia and other countries on the premise of abiding by local epidemic prevention policies. For example, the Slovak Philharmonic Choir performed Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugen Onegin" for the first time at the Vienna State Opera. In addition, Slovakia held the "2020 Bratislava Animation Film Biennial", in which 1824 films from 96 countries or regions around the world participated in the award competition, providing ample space for the development of non-commercial audiovisual arts and cultural promotion. In November 2020, Kosice held the "26th International Film Festival Golden Beggar" online, attracting 365 films from 66 countries or regions, including documentaries, animations, and feature films. The "Golden Beggar" award is one of the most highly anticipated film awards in Europe, with three main awards: Best Young Director, Best Production Company, and Best Television Station. As a symbol of identity in the film industry, this category has expanded the influence of Slovak audiovisual art overseas.

（3） Cultural Exchange between China and Sri Lanka

Against the backdrop of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, the two countries carried out a series of cultural exchange activities in 2019. In 2020, the world entered a period of turbulence and change, and the bilateral relationship between China and Slovakia also entered a new stage. On February 19, 2020, Miroslav Laj čá k, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Slovakia, met with Sun Lijie, the newly appointed Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Slovakia. Minister Lechak said that Sri Lanka attaches importance to developing relations with China, cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries, and is willing to continue to actively participate in the construction of the "the Belt and Road" and the cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

The Confucius Institute at Komensky University in Bratislava has long played a leading role in supporting language and cultural exchange. In January 2020, the Confucius Institute held a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. The Fudan University Dance Troupe and the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics Folk Music Troupe brought wonderful song and dance performances. The Chinese martial arts teaching point Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy performed various traditional martial arts such as Tai Chi and Shuangdao. The Confucius Institute also collaborates with local high schools to carry out educational projects. Gymn á zium Mikul áš a Kova áč a High School has been offering bilingual classes between China and Sri Lanka for five years since 2016. Students complete the regular compulsory courses in the first academic year and also engage in systematic Chinese language learning. Starting from the second academic year, courses such as mathematics, physics, and biology will be taught in both Chinese and Spanish, and graduates will reach HSK Level 5. In 2020, the school conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the education pilot project, and the first batch of students will graduate in the summer of 2021.

The year 2020 marks the 127th anniversary of the birth of Hungarian Slovak architect Ladislav Edward Hudec. Many famous buildings in Shanghai, such as the Great Guangming Theater and the Shanghai Brewery, with over 30 buildings, are his outstanding works. In January 2020, the Consulate General of Slovakia in Shanghai organized a seminar on Hudec's architectural design to explore its contribution to the formation of Shanghai's urban landscape. On December 5th, the 6th Shanghai Hudec Architectural Heritage Culture Month, hosted by Hudec Cultural Development Center and Hudec Memorial Hall, opened at Hudec's former residence and Hudec Memorial Hall. Hundreds of citizens who love architectural culture spontaneously came to participate. The theme of this Cultural Month exhibition is "A Painting Letter to Wu Dake". Contemporary architects and painters Fei Xiqiang, Hu Yu, Liao Fang, and Xu Dawei showcase the beauty of Wu Dake's architecture through their sketches and watercolor paintings. On December 27th, the event concluded with a lecture on "Re reading Hudec Architecture", inviting well-known experts in the industry to focus on analyzing five representative buildings: Daguangming Cinema, International Hotel, Columbia Life Circle, Sunke Villa, and Hong'en Hospital.

In terms of cultural and tourism publicity, Du š an Bella, Slovak Ambassador to China, attended the opening ceremony of the ASEAN (Guiyang) "the Belt and Road" Cultural Tourism Exchange Week, and communicated with relevant personnel from some of the "the Belt and Road" countries' embassies and institutions in China on building a win-win cooperation platform for cultural tourism on the "Digital Silk Road". On October 26, 2020, the "European Style Street" event was held at the Xuhui Riyueguang Center Square in Shanghai. The Consulate General of Slovakia in Shanghai has set up a booth online to introduce traditional costumes, folk art, and folk music to the public. At the same time, the public can also taste Slovak specialty cuisine and fine wine. Visitors can enhance their understanding of studying, traveling, doing business, and investing in Sri Lanka through various promotional brochures and map materials.

In terms of art exhibitions, the 5th International Children's Innovative Art Invitation Exhibition opened at the Shanghai Museum of Art on July 23, 2020. Three children's artists from Slovakia won awards, including Liliana Brtekov á's "Diev č a v z á hrade" which won the gold medal, Damian Brtek's "Jese ň" (Autumn) and Nella R ó zsov á's "K ô ň" (Horse) which won the Excellence Award, and other works by Brtek. Two paintings were also exhibited at the 3rd International Youth and Children's Art Science Popularization Exhibition held in September. On November 3, 2020, the Chinese Artists Association and the Chinese Art Palace jointly hosted the "Common Home - National Art Exhibition of the the Belt and Road", and the painters Ondrej Zimka and Milina Zimkov á participated on behalf of Slovakia. Adhering to the spirit of "peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness", this exhibition has further enhanced exchanges and mutual learning among countries working together to build the "the Belt and Road". On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the Embassy of Slovakia in China, in collaboration with organizations such as the Federation of Asian Cultural Artists, has prepared the "21st Century 'Pada'" exhibition, which combines photography, facial painting, and art painting to showcase the unique Slovak culture, traditions, values, and history to Chinese audiences in a modern way. On December 11, 2020, the Embassy of Slovakia in China held a reception, in which Xiong Junjie, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Zhongjie Industrial Park, and representatives of teachers and students from the China Sri Lanka Friendship Primary School were invited to attend. During the event, Ambassador Bella commended the anti epidemic themed painting competition, and the works reflected the deep friendship between China and Sri Lanka in sharing joys and sorrows and overcoming difficulties together. The Chinese version of "Slovak Folktales Collection" was also released on the same day, which is of great significance for the dissemination of Slovak folk culture in China. In addition, Ivana Vala Magatova, the Consul General of Slovakia in Shanghai, visited the Shanghai Museum of Art Gifts on December 11, 2020, and held talks with the Chairman, Mr. Hu Muqing, mainly discussing cooperation in bilateral cultural exchanges. She signed the "2021-2022 Memorandum of Cooperation". Based on this, the Shanghai Museum of Art Gifts will actively assist the Consulate General of Slovakia in Shanghai in promoting Slovak culture, art, and tourism in China, especially providing exhibition and promotional platforms for Slovak artists.

Summary and Prospect

Under the influence of the COVID-19 in 2020, on the one hand, the Slovak cultural industry was severely impacted, cultural institutions were closed, and clustered cultural activities were canceled. On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture and its subordinate cultural institutions scientifically responded to the epidemic, transferring part of cultural activities online, to some extent, stimulating the development of new digital cultural and creative industries. Slovakia is gradually achieving sustainable development of cultural heritage, and the protection and inheritance of local customs and culture are on track. To further promote the development of cultural diversity, Slovakia will establish a legislative framework to protect and develop minority cultures, and provide financial support for minority cultural institutions and art groups. At present, the budget for cultural expenditures in Slovakia is lower than the average level of the Visegrad Group. The Slovak government formulated a ten-year sustainable development strategic plan in December 2020, which focuses on supporting the development of cultural and creative industries, enriching cultural resources, further enhancing national soft power, and introducing STEAM education concepts in schools to form interdisciplinary education forms. By improving the cultural environment, citizens' cultural literacy is enhanced, and their imagination and creative expression are cultivated. In order to improve the efficiency of the utilization of national budget funds in the cultural field, Slovakia will strengthen the evaluation of the operational processes and functions of existing national cultural institutions, and the government will consider systematic reforms of various cultural institutions (including statutory institutions). In terms of cultural diplomacy strategy, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, as well as various embassies or institutions abroad, are jointly preparing for the 2021 flagship project with the Ministry of Culture and cultural institutions. The project aims to promote foreign culture to countries such as Germany, Austria, France, and Italy, and will continue until 2023. Among them, the theme for 2021 is Slovak original design, while 2022 will focus on music and art. On January 22, 2021, Ingrid Brockov á, Secretary of State for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, met with Qin Gang, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, to discuss the cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries. With the successful convening of the China Central and Eastern European Countries Leaders' Summit via video, China and Sri Lanka will continue to promote deep cooperation in areas such as calligraphy and painting creation, art exhibitions, and film and television art. Cooperation in the cultural field between China and Sri Lanka will have enormous potential for development.