A Philippines-China painting exhibition, themed "In Harmony with Nature," opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila on Saturday in a bid to strengthen cultural exchanges.

A total of 65 paintings by five Filipino artists and as many Chinese artists are presented in the exhibition, which also shows drawings by the two countries' artists during a joint trip to Palawan in the Philippines in September.

"This is a unique project which seeks to cultivate the artistic encounters between Chinese and Philippine artists and will foster a better understanding of mutual cultures," Joselito Campos, chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Board of Trustees, said at the opening ceremony.

Before the opening ceremony, 10 artists from the two countries jointly created a painting named "In Harmony with Nature".

Jonahmar Salvosa, one of the five Filipino artists, told Xinhua that finishing a painting with so many Chinese artists was an amazing experience. "This is the first time of mine," said Salvosa, "I learned a lot from Chinese artists. I think they also learned from us."

Chinese artist Cai Zhixin said the Philippines is a beautiful country and "In Harmony with Nature" was the perfect theme for both sets of artists.

"In the past, I didn't know much about the Philippines and Philippine painting. After the trip to Palawan and the exhibition in Manila, I found Filipinos are enthusiastic and kindhearted," Cai said, "And more important, this kind of exchange program can definitely deepen our understanding of art and culture."

"In Harmony with Nature" is a two-phase exhibition, organized by the Bank of China Manila Branch in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Chinese Culture and Art Association and English-language newspaper China Daily. The Philippine leg will last until the end of October and the second phase will be in China.

All the 10 artists will visit China next month and spend time on creating paintings in Liling, central Hunan Province. Their paintings will be showcased in October in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

"I am very excited about going to China. I saw pictures and paint(ing)s of China before, but it's only through books. Now it will be a reality," Salvosa said, "I think I will learn more about China in this trip."