ULAN BATOR, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A cultural and art festival entitled " The Hopeful Grassland " was launched here by a Chinese publishing group on Monday, marking the debut of a series of activities dedicated to popularizing Esperanto.

Lu Cairong, deputy director of China International Publishing Group (CIPG) said at the opening ceremony that friendly exchanges between Esperanto circles of the two countries have helped boost bilateral people-to-people exchanges, and served as a unique way to promote bilateral ties.

Lu also said by using different kinds of media form including books, magazines and the Internet, the CIPG has been actively engaging in various international cultural exchange activities aimed at promoting communications and mutual understanding among different countries and peoples and further presenting China to the world.

The festival included many activities to publicize China and Chinese culture to the Mongolian people. A photo exhibition reflecting China's Erdos city was presented to visitors, aiming to acquaint them with the inclusive development model of the city.

In addition, people from the Esperanto circles of the two countries will gather at a forum to discuss the latest development of the Esperanto movement and explore ways to promote Esperanto in Asia.

This year is designated as the Asia Year of Esperanto by international Esperanto circles. By cooperating with the All-China Esperanto League, the CIPG will hold a series of cultural exchange activities in different countries including Mongolia, Vietnam and South Korea to promote Esperanto.