The first China Art Industry Expo will kick off in Tongzhou District, Beijing on September 26, announced Liu Yuzhu, Director of the Cultural Industries Department, China's Ministry of Culture at a press conference in Beijing on September 6.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipal Government of Beijing, 2012 China Art Industry Expo (CAIE) is the first state-level annual art expo, aiming to establish an international communication and trade platform in Beijing for artists and art lovers. It will launch a series of art exhibitions, meetings and cultural events for artists, investors and the public between September 26 and October 2, Liu said.

"Over 900 artists, from China and the rest of the world, will present 5,000 pieces of art at eight themed exhibitions at CAIE 2012," said Yang Xiaoyang, President of the China National Academy of Painting, who also serves as the chief curator of CAIE 2012.

"Unlike other art exhibitions, CAIE 2012 has unique features," Yang said. "CAIE is a comprehensive display of Chinese culture and art. A lot of outstanding Chinese artists will take part in the event. What's more, the original works and ideas of artists are highly encouraged by CAIE. Thus, it is not only an art expo but also a communication platform to promote culture and arts."

CAIE will be held in Songzhuang Town in east Beijing's Tongzhou District. Over the past decade, Songzhuang has grown into a well-known art community in Beijing with more than 6,000 artists living in the small town. Currently, there are hundreds of galleries and studios in Songzhuang. "The prosperity of culture and art in Songzhuang lays a solid foundation for it to hold CAIE 2012," said Yue Peng, Mayor of Tongzhou District Government.

In recent years, the demand for fine art has been growing rapidly and remarkably in China. According to a report by The European Fine Art Foundation, based in Maastricht, Netherlands, China's transactions of artworks reached 13.8 billion euros ($17.4 billion) in 2011, while the total global market volume reached 46.1 billion ($58.2 billion). China has become the largest art trading marketplace in the world. It is believed that the booming market will give strong impetus to the art industry.