KAZAN, Russia, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese folk arts and crafts were popular with visitors at an exhibition of applied arts sponsored by member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the central Russian city of Kazan on Monday.

    Pieces of Chinese folk arts and crafts, including wood engraving, stone carving, paper-weaving and folk paper-cutting, attracted crowds of visitors at the exhibition in the Hazine national gallery in Kazan, the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan.

    As the melodious strains of music from the traditional Chinese instrument erhu were floating across the hall, visitors enjoyed themselves watching a tea making ceremony for Chinese Gongfu tea, as well as the making of Chinese wood engraving pictures.

    All these items and performances were displayed and brought by the Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China's Fujian Province.

    Zufar Gimayev, head of the Tatarstan Union of artists, told Xinhua that he was deeply impressed by the skillful and delicate Chinese folk arts.

    He also hoped that one day he could travel to China to know more about Chinese culture.

    Vera Procopeva from the Tatarstan state museum of fine arts said she was amazed by the making of Chinese wood engraving pictures.

    Olga Pivlskaya, director of a local art gallery, said traditional folk arts have been well preserved in China.

    The exhibition was held in parallel to the sixth meeting of SCO culture ministers. Ministers from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan gathered in Kazan Monday to discuss multilateral cultural cooperation within the framework of the regional bloc.

    Representatives from Iran, India and Mongolia also attended the meeting as observers.