China and Italy will join hands to launch more than 100 programs during their bilateral culture and tourism year of 2020.

The programs will cover performances and visual art, cultural heritage, tourism and creative design. It'll kick off in Rome on Tuesday and conclude in Beijing by the end of this year.

Top Chinese artists and symphony orchestras will give performances in Italy, and a China-Italy world heritage photography exhibition will be held to mark the opening of the culture and tourism year.

An important part of the yearlong program, the China-Italy tourism forum, will be held on Tuesday. More than 400 high-level government officials, international tourism organizations, educational institutions and think tanks will discuss tourism cooperation and management.

The Palace Museum and the National Museum of China will host exhibitions from Italy, while Chinese Terracotta Warriors will march to Italy.

Other highlights include a Chinese paper-art exhibition at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in the historical center of Naples, which will run until the middle of February, and a China pavilion at the Venice architecture biennale between May and November.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.