SHENZHEN, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen culture officials from 11 African countries are touring China to learn how to develop their nations' cultural industries.

The group stayed at Dafen village, in south China's Shenzhen city, to study its development as a center for oil painting over the last 18 years.

During their stay in the village, which has grown from a community of 300 people to a cultural center with more than 3,000 artists, Victor Makashi of the Zambian National Arts Council said "this place is full of artistic feeling."

Dafen sold more than 100 million yuan (13 million U.S. dollars)in oil paintings every year, providing valuable experience for the cultural industry development in Zambia, Makashi said.

As members of the African Cultural Visitors Program, the officials visited Shenzhen from Oct. 16 to 18, learning about the construction and development of the city's cultural industry.

In the China Folk Culture Villages theme park, they were impressed by the folk arts of various ethnic groups in China.

"This is an effective combination of folk culture and tourism. Visitors can have learn about the folk culture of different ethnic groups," said Solomon Ali Mohammed, head of the department for public and international relations of Ethiopia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Musamba Weseley Kaonga, acting director of cultural department of Zambia's Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, said the protection of traditional and ethnic arts and cultures was important to Africa and China, as both sides had abundant resources.

The program, set up by China's Ministry of Culture in 2006, is a long-term program of cultural cooperation and exchanges between China and African countries. It was included in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) in November 2006.

This year's program runs from Oct. 12 to 25. The officials -- from Benin, Botswana, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia -- will also visit Beijing and the northwestern province of Gansu.