A rural aesthetic education program was launched in Shanghai's suburban Baoshan District on Saturday aimed at revitalizing rural areas through the integration of art and culture.

The program, a collaboration between Baoshan's Luojing Town, Shanghai University's Academy of Fine Arts and the Shanghai Institute for Urban Renewal and Sustainable Development, hopes to contribute to China's broader rural revitalization initiatives, the district government said.

As a key part of the program, the "China Rural Aesthetic Education Alliance," formed by various national art universities, was officially unveiled in the town. It seeks to employ artistic and educational resources to enhance the cultural and aesthetic landscape of rural communities.

The 2023 Shanghai Science, Innovation, Art and Urban Academic Festival was also held. It focused on integrating art and science in rural settings to foster a harmonious urban-rural cultural relationship.

"The establishment of the alliance will enhance the role of national art universities in rural revitalization," said Wang Xiaolin, deputy Party secretary of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, a member of the newly unveiled alliance.

"The alliance can also balance aesthetic education between urban and rural areas and create a platform for cooperation in rural aesthetic education," she added.

Jin Jiangbo, executive dean of the academy, said the alliance will promote traditional rural culture, strengthen social recognition of rural aesthetic education, and integrate resources from member institutions to explore new paths and models for rural development.

Jin called on participating universities to work together to use the power of art to enhance rural ecology, economy, talent attraction, governance and development.

The initial members of the alliance include prominent art and technology institutions across China, such as the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the China Academy of Art and the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University.