Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Craft Innovation Opens in London

Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Craft Innovation Opens in London

An exhibition of the traditional craft innovation of Chinas Zhejiang Province opened on May 8 in Londons Asia House， fusing traditional Chinese craft with the power of innovation.

Organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism， the Zhejiang Traditional Craft Innovation Exhibition was a part of the fifth London Craft Week and lasted for four days.

According to the organizer， the exhibition was based on the design and interpretation of five traditional materials， namely bamboo， wood， silk， copper， and china. It presented designs which demonstrate the innovation and power of Chinese traditional craft， with the aim of deepening understanding of the local culture of eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province in Britain and Europe， as well as encouraging an exchange of creative and cultural ideas.

According to the organizer， Zhejiang Province has always been committed to inheriting and developing excellent traditional craft and promoting the re-inheritance and re-design of traditional craft， a goal that aligns with the London Craft Week.

U.S. National Chinese Language Conference Held in San Diego

The 12th National Chinese Language Conference （NCLC） of the United States kicked off on May 9 in the coastal city of San Diego in California. More than 1，300 teachers， administrators， and policymakers from the United States and seven other countries took part in the threeday event.

In collaboration with the Confucius Institute Headquarters， this years event was coorganized by the College Board and Asia Society and chose as its theme， “Connecting to a Global Future.”

“Confucius Institute has made an unparalleled contribution to advancing Chinese language education， meeting the demands of studying Chinese language， and promoting the mutual understanding and people-topeople exchanges between China and the United States，” said Ma Jianfei， deputy chief executive of Confucius Institute Headquarters and secretary-general of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching.

“It is through language that one acquires understanding and appreciation for the history and culture of a people，” said Anthony Jackson， vice president of Education at Asia Society.

Over two million American students have studied in Confucius Institutes， and over 1，300 students have been rewarded Confucius Institute scholarships according to official statistics.

Photo Exhibition on Chinas Ethnic Minorities Opens in Riga

A photo exhibition on Chinas ethnic minorities opened in Riga on May 9， highlighting the diverse lifestyles and centuries-old traditions of many ethnic groups.

Participating in the unveiling of the exhibition on scenery and customs of Chinese ethnic minorities were representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Latvia， members of the Latvian parliament， as well as representatives of Chinese cultural organizations.

The 64 photos displayed at the exhibition are works of prominent Chinese photographers whose close relations with the people of the ethnic groups allowed them to tell through the lens of their cameras the true stories of their day-today lives.

Tang Yulap， chairman of Association Suisse des Commercants d Origine Chinoise， said at the opening of the exhibition， “Since ancient times， China has always been a unified multi-ethnic nation and today embraces a total of 56 ethnic groups with distinct cultures， hence forming a diversified， beautiful country.”

“We hope that through the lens of our photographers， the world would appreciate the genuine customs and practices of Chinas different ethnic minorities， and at the same time， we could take this opportunity to exhibit the great social and economic changes in our ethnic minorities and how their lives have improved over the past 40 years of the countrys reform and opening-up，” the chairman said.

Activity

Opera Turandot

Venue： National Center for the Performing Arts

Date： June 20-23， 2019

Price： RMB 180， 240， 350， 500， 600， 700， 800， 1000

The NCPA opera Turandot is the first Western opera the NCPA has presented since its inauguration. The Puccini Festival Foundation， as the specially invited partner in the NCPAs production， has rendered full support from planning to rehearsal. Hao Weiya， the gifted young Chinese composer entrusted by NCPA to be an integral part of this opera， is the third composer globally and the first Chinese artist to complete Puccinis Turandot.

Childrens Opera Snow White

Venue： National Center for the Perf orming Arts

Date： May 30-June 02， 2019

Price： RMB 80， 150， 240， 300， 360， 480

Snow White， based on a Brothers Grimms fairytale of the same name， features enthralling music alongside a stage of vibrant colors. The NCPA has assembled an international creative team with the music written by NCPA resident composer Cai Dongzhen， whose works have been acclaimed inside and outside China.