Artists from China, Japan and South Korea together sing the song "Auld Lang Syne".[Photo by Hu Qing/asianewsphoto.com]

Qingdao, a coastal city in China's Shandong province was designated as a "2015 Culture City of East Asia", along with Japan's Niigata and South Korea's Cheongju.

In the past year, with the substantial support from the cultural ministries of the three countries, the three cities have effectively promoted the cultural exchanges and cooperation among one another.