Dialogues bloom as Orchid Awards near grand finale in July

Celebrating exchange, friendship and collaboration, an award in the country honors those who build cultural bridges between China and the rest of the world, serving as living proof that dialogue can transcend borders and break down barriers, experts say.

Three short-listed nominees for the Lifetime Honorary Award for the second edition of the Orchid Awards this year were announced before the event's final jury meeting in Beijing on May 23. They are Marcelo Munoz, chairman of the Catedra China Foundation in Spain, Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, and Francis Gurry, former Director General of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization.

At the meeting, jury members recommended 10 recipients for this year's awards and discussed the event's role in exchange of ideas.