Artists from home and abroad take a group photo with organizers and officials after the performance. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/for chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of Columbian dancers came all the way to China for a cultural and people-to-people exchange with residents of Beijing's Sanlitun street community on Friday.

As a warm-up activity for the China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Cultural Exchange, the event set out to build friendship between two countries through dance.

Both sides sent eight people to participate in the dance activity.

The Chinese team, consisting of eight 60-year-old female performers, presented the Chinese traditional dance, Nanniwan.

On the Columbian side, dancers with the Passion Caribbean Dance Troupe offer a feast for the eyes with folk dance from their homeland.

Qin Wenhuan, deputy general manager of China Arts and Entertainment Group, delivered a keynote speech during the activity.

"At the initial stage of preparing the 2016 Year of Cultural Exchange, we made principles that bilateral or multilateral exchanges should not be limited in the arts field. More communication should be made at the grassroots level," she said. "The general public should have access to a variety of cultural events."

"We hope to present the ordinary life of Chinese people to Latin American people by inviting them to step into the community. Also, Chinese people can appreciate the beauty of Latin America in their neighborhood," Qin said.