culture

Cultural Relic Looted from Yuanmingyuan Returns Home

A Chinese bronze vessel looted from Yuanmingyuan， or the Old Summer Palace， in Beijing has recently returned to China and entered the collections at the National Museum of China on December 11， 2018.

The vessel， known as the Bronze Tiger Ying， was auctioned off in April by Britains Canterbury Auction Galleries. The buyer， through the auction house， contacted Chinas State Administration of Cultural Heritage （SACH） in late April and expressed his hope for an unconditional donation.

The vessel once belonged to the royal family of the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）. Later， it was taken away from the Old Summer Palace by the British military officer Harry Evans， when the palace was sacked and destroyed in 1860 during the invasion of AngloFrench allied forces.

Representatives from SACH and experts with the National Museum of China visited Britain in September to authenticate the bronze vessel， which dates back to the Western Zhou period（1046-771 BC）.

“Chinese cultural relics lost overseas are important components of our countrys cultural heritage，” said Liu Yuzhu， head of SACH， adding that they record the profound history and cultural emotions of the Chinese people. Liu said SACH has in recent years successfully facilitated the return of many lost cultural relics to China.

South African Flower Festival Highlights Chinese Elements

A floral extravaganza ended December 8， 2018， in South Africas resort town of Parys with Chinese elements being the highlights of the gala.

The Free State Madeira Flower Festival， featuring exquisite performers， floats， and giant flower puppets， attracted thousands of visitors from all parts of South Africa and abroad. A Chinese Cuisine Night， hosted by the Chinese ConsulateGeneral in Johannesburg and local enterprises and communities， was an eyecatcher of the two-day festival. Presented at the event were various Chinese foods， traditional songs and dances from both countries， Chinese martial arts and a spectacular fireworks show.

According to the Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg Ruan Ping， cultural communication will take on a bigger role in developing bilateral relations between the two countries. The event promotes mutual understanding and trust， and builds bridges of friendship and cooperation.

“To make the South African culture a part of the Chinese peoples lives， and to have the Chinese culture understood and adopted by South African friends are the themes of this Chinese Cuisine Night，” he noted.

Chinese Exhibition of Cuisine and Culture Enthrall Nepalis

The Sichuan Food Culture Tour 2018 was held in Nepals capital to promote the cuisine and culture of Chinas southwestern province among the Nepali people. The show was hosted in the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu on the evening of November 28， 2018， by Sicuhan Provincial Peoples Congress and Sichuan NGO Network for International Exchanges in coordination with the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

The spectacular event was attended by the Nepali Speaker of House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara， Forest Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet， Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial Peoples Congress， Vice President of Sichuan NGO Network for International Exchanges Liu Jie， and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong.

During his address at the function， Mahara highlighted the ageold relationship between Nepal and China， and the special role Sichuan Province has played in boosting the social， economic， and cultural relations between the two countries.

“Chinas Belt and Road Initiative provides tremendous opportunities to explore the relations between the two countries. I believe that the NepalChina railway through Sichuans transportation network will open up more opportunities to connect the people of both countries，” Mahara said.

Over a dozen Sichuan dishes were served at the food fiesta. Small pandashaped desserts were particularly the favorite of Nepali food enthusiasts.

Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong said that such events are important for cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two neighbors.

Activity

Paco Pe？a Flamenco Dance Company A Compás

Date： Dec. 31， 2018-Jan. 2， 2019

Venue： National Center for the Performing Arts

Price： RMB 100， 180， 280， 400， 460， 520， 580， 680

Paco Pe？a embodies both the authenticity and innovation in flamenco

performances. As guitarist， composer， dramatist， producer， and artistic mentor， he has transformed perceptions of an archetypal Spanish art form. In 1981， he founded the Centro Flamenco Paco Pe？a in Cordoba， and later became the artistic director of the Córdoba International Guitar Festival.

Richard Clayderman 2019 Shanghai New Year Concert

Date： Jan. 1， 2019

Venue： Mercedes-Benz Arena

Price： RMB 180， 280， 380， 580， 680， 880， 1280， 1580

Richard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint， instrumental renditions of popular music， rearrangements of movie soundtracks， ethnic music， and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.