Shanghai displays its intangible cultural heritage in Sydney
Provided by Ti Gong.
"Fair South Recalled – Shanghai lntangible Cultural Heritage Painting Exhibition" came to the Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Australia, on Tuesday.
Organized by the Information Office and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai government, as well as Shanghai United Media Group, Jiefang Daily, the Jinshan District government and the Sydney Chinese Cultural Center, the exhibition was officially inaugurated on the occasion.
The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In order to enhance cross-cultural understanding and trust between China and Australia, the exhibition brings Jinshan Peasant Paintings on Tuesday, following its previous stop at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan, last year.
The exhibition aims to tell a good Chinese story and spread the city image of Shanghai to more foreigners. After its inauguration in Sydney, the exhibition will go to China's first Chinese Cultural Center in Oceania – the Sydney Chinese Cultural Center for 10 days.
Tuesday's opening ceremony attracted many Australian friends, among them celebrities from the cultural, artistic and university communities.
John Huie, famed Australian music composer, and his wife share their "Chinese story" with Peter Weitzel, chairman of the Australia-China Friendship Society New South Wales Branch.
Zhao Jiaming, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and director of the publicity department; Wang Chunsheng, the acting consul-general of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney; Robert Kok, deputy mayor of Sydney; and Peter Weitzel, chairman of Australia China Friendship Society NSW, attended the ceremony.
The painting "Poplar Blossoming in March" amazed many with its special ambience that wafted over the spring of Jiangnan (the region south of the Yangtze River) while "Cultural Circle of Shanghai People's Square" rang a bell for John Huie, a well-known Australian music producer who stayed in Shanghai for 10 years.
"The streets in the painting are very close to our home in Shanghai, from where me and my wife have too many wonderful memories. Shanghai is a beautiful city with a humanistic touch," Hu noted.
"I've created two albums in Shanghai, as well as a number of Jiangnan-themed songs. Some of which are a mix of jazz and classical Chinese music, which are favored by our friends. We really love Shanghai and look forward to going back in the near future."
As one of the important symbols of the intangible cultural heritage of Shanghai, Jinshan Peasant Paintings were born from folk artists' experience of rural life.
The special art genre features flat modeling, bright colors and a full composition. Thousands of Jinshan Peasant Paintings have been exhibited at both home and abroad, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada. It has gradually become an important link in cross-cultural communication.
Li Yuan, one of the Jinshan peasant painters, presents the work "Flowering Goose" to David van Nunen, president of the Australian Watercolor Society.
At the opening ceremony, Li Yuan, one of the Jinshan peasant painters, presented the work "Flowering Goose" to David van Nunen, president of the Australian Watercolor Society, who in return gave him the painting "Love of the Sea" based on the subject of the Sydney Opera House.
"Jinshan Peasant Paintings are filled with imagination. Through these works, imaginative, I could feel that whether Sydney or Shanghai, Australia or China share something in common. The people of the two countries are all passionate, they all love their life. I am very happy to participate in such a wonderful cultural exchange event," said Van Nunen.
A series of booklets like "Shanghai City Archeology" and "International services Shanghai: A guide to Shanghai for expats" showing the innovation and vitality of Shanghai with convenience in life were available at the site. Liu Jian, Party Secretary of Jinshan District, invited Australian tourists to visit China, especially Jinshan in Shanghai, to experience the unique charm of China's intangible cultural heritage and the splendid Chinese culture behind it.
