Islamabad – The annual cultural grand event of Pakistan, the Folk Heritage Festival (Lok Mela), with a history spanning over forty years, opened today in the capital, Islamabad. Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture H.E Mr. Aurangzeb Khan Khichi attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.
For the first time, the China Cultural Center in Pakistan was invited to participate in the festival and simultaneously launched the event “Nihao! China — 2025 China Tourism and Culture Week.” Through diverse and engaging cultural showcases, the event injected new vitality into China-Pakistan cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.
The China Pavilion, centered around striking replicas of the Forbidden City gate and the Great Wall of China, presented a highly recognizable visual symbol of Chinese culture and quickly became a popular spot for visitors to take photos. With four major thematic sections — a Cultural Tourism Photo Exhibition, Smart Tourism Products Display, VR Experience Zone, and Intangible Cultural Heritage Showcase — the pavilion offered a panoramic display of the rich diversity of China’s cultural and tourism resources. Visitors were able to experience the natural wonders and profound cultural heritage of China in an immersive manner, helping to strengthen the positive image of the country among the Pakistani public.
To enhance audience engagement, a special “Chinese History and Culture Quiz” was introduced in the pavilion. Participants could win exclusive logo stickers or stamps by answering questions correctly, and those who collected eight to ten stamps were invited to enjoy immersive VR experiences such as “Eternal Tang Dynasty” and “Chinese Gardens.” This interactive experience deepened visitors’ understanding of Chinese history and culture in a fun and engaging way.
ZTE Corporation also presented its glasses-free 3D technology within the pavilion, where the integration of culture and technology significantly enhanced the appeal of the China Pavilion, allowing Chinese culture to reach the Pakistani audience in an accessible and innovative manner.
H.E Mr. Chen Peng, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan and Director China Cultural Center in Pakistan, invited Minister Aurangzeb and representatives from various embassies in Islamabad to visit the China Pavilion and enjoy an immersive experience of Chinese cultural charm.
This year’s Lok Mela will run for ten days, attracting an estimated over 100,000 visitors. It stands as one of the most influential cultural events in Islamabad in 2025. In addition to China, the Embassies of Uzbekistan and Vietnam in Pakistan also actively participated, making the festival a vivid demonstration of mutual learning and cultural exchange among civilizations.
