Nanshan celebratesszdaily.sznews.com/attachment/pdf/202005/26/fb207f... · traditional art forms...
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15 CULTURE CONTACT US AT: 8351-9409, [email protected] Tuesday May 26, 2020 WHILE COVID-19 travel restrictions mean it could be sometime before Aus- tralians get to visit China in person, the next best thing could be a virtual expe- rience provided by the China Cultural Center (CCC) in Sydney. Adapting to the unique times and widespread lockdowns across Aus- tralia, the CCC launched its “Visiting China Online” project — a series of seven virtual exhibitions released one by one from mid-March, focused on introducing audiences to Chinese his- tory, imagery, and culture. Xiao Xiayong, director of the CCC in Sydney, told Xinhua that his organiza- tion hoped to make the most possible out of the tragic pandemic to improve Australians’ understanding of China. “This year’s epidemic has definitely affected us a lot. After February, many domestic groups were unable to travel,” Xiao said. “During the epidemic, basically all art galleries and museums were closed, and offline activities were not available. Our online exhibitions became a window for everyone to understand Chinese art.” The exhibitions include “Our Silk Road: Online Photo Exhibition,” “Col- orful and Diverse Splendid Costumes of Chinese Ethnic Groups,” “Bamboo Culture: Understanding Oriental Aes- thetics,” and “Exploring the Mysteries of Ancient Shu Relics.” Through images, audio, virtual real- ity and animation, visitors can learn the history of Chinese script, explore the mysteries of the relics from the ancient Shu Kingdom in Southwest China, journey down the rugged paths of the Silk Road, and much more. One of the highlight exhibits, set to launch June 12, focuses on China’s world-renowned Terracotta Warriors. The release is the culmination of the project and is intended to coincide with China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on June 13. “Qin: the Past and Present of Ter- racotta Warriors and Horses” allows viewers to explore the world-heritage listed archaeological sites in Shaanxi Province and learn about the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Furthermore, history is brought to life through related works such as the modern dance performance of “Sym- biosis,” Qinqiang dance drama “Soul of the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty” and other immersive expe- riences of the resurrected terracotta warriors and horses. Xiao explained that the CCC sought to be as creative and advanced as pos- sible in how they crafted the virtual experience. “Ideal online exhibitions should use various new Internet interaction technologies, such as more images, audio, video, virtual reality, and flash animation, but the difficulty lies in the need for strong technical support, and the produc- tion takes time,” he explained. To achieve this the CCC recruited the help of local organizations and artists to tailor the experience to Australian tastes and curiosities. This included a collaborative series with the Sydney National Tourist Office and promotion of such titles as “Beijing Tourism Tips,” “Beijing Food You Like,” and “Top 10 Cultural Tour- ism Festivals in Beijing.” (Xinhua) China’s cultural heritage goes virtual in Australia EACH year on the 23rd of the fourth lunar month, Xiangnan Village in Nan- shan District is teeming with dancing, drumming, firecrackers and excited villagers as it’s the Marquis’ Birthday, a local festival that has been celebrated for over 300 years. This year, however, it was celebrated differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 15, the village held a livestream via the Daily Sunshine app to celebrate the festival, attracting nearly 1 million viewers from across the globe. The livestream included four sessions, namely, history of the Marquis’ Birthday, the worshipping ceremonies, other ceremonies and an introduction to festival food. Xiangnan Village is an ancient vil- lage in Shenzhen, and the Marquis’ Birthday is part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage. Held during the pandemic, the livestream showcased Nanshan’s efforts in protecting its cultural heritage as it explored a new way to promote its intangible cultural heritage. The marquis of Xiangnan Village Chen Zhongyong was one of the most prominent 12 nobles of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Born to an ordi- nary family, Chen fought his way to become a general and was given the title of marquis by the Ming emperor. To Xiangnan villagers, the marquis was a hero when alive and after his death, becomes a god who protects them from bad luck and disasters. Once upon a time, as the village was seized by a plague, villagers held a parade in the name of the marquis to drive away the disease. Soon the plague vanished, and the villagers decided to build a temple for the marquis and hold ceremonies to annually worship the god on the 23rd of the fourth lunar month. Over the years, the celebration is seen by the villagers as a virtuous practice that has taught them to be decent, upright and respectful of laws and regulations. Zheng Jianrong, who’s in charge of the festival, said that, every year on the festival day, villagers from home and abroad gather in the village to attend the ceremonies and pray for good luck. The celebration has gone beyond being a local tradition to becoming a bond between villagers staying at home and those living overseas, and a power that unites members of the Zheng clan. Xiangnan Village has a lion dance troupe that is significant as a cultural Nanshan celebrates Marquis’ Birthday online mark of the village. Among the many ceremonies held during the festival, the lion dance is a high- light. It’s said that the history of the troupe could be dated back to the early 20th century during the Republic of China era. Back then, the troupe was frequently invited to perform in celebrations around the Nantou area. Unfortunately, due to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it stopped performing for decades and didn’t resume activities until 1985 when Zheng Yun, a villager who’d moved to Taiwan, reestablished the troupe. It started with over 30 members and has continued to grow since then. Currently, the troupe is led by Zheng Guosen, a young man born in the 1990s. He has been learning lion dance since he was 15. Accord- ing to Zheng, the art of lion dance has been passed through genera- tions from masters to disciples, and it will continue to be so. In addition to the lion dance, per- formances at the celebration include traditional art forms like Cantonese opera and martial arts. The festival also features traditional handicrafts which are used as utensils for wor- shipping rituals. In 2009, the Marquis’ Birthday celebration was listed as a part of Shenzhen’s intangible cultural heritage. Today, the celebration has grown from a simple worship- ping ceremony among local villagers into a project that inherits the intan- gible culture and provides a spiritual home for overseas Chinese from the Zheng clan. Having by far the most projects listed in Shenzhen’s intangible cul- tural heritage, Nanshan District has 18 projects, including two at the pro- vincial level, three at the municipal level and 13 at the district level. (Lin Lin) ◄ Among the many ceremonies held during the celebration for the Marquis’ Birthday, the lion dance is a highlight. File photos An extravagant banquet featuring poon-chai, a pot loaded with layers and layers of ingredients such as abalone, oysters, scallops and many more, was an inevitable part of the annual celebration. But this year, the banquet was skipped due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Transcript of Nanshan celebratesszdaily.sznews.com/attachment/pdf/202005/26/fb207f... · traditional art forms...
15 CULTURECONTACT US AT: 8351-9409, [email protected] Tuesday May 26, 2020
WHILE COVID-19 travel restrictions mean it could be sometime before Aus-tralians get to visit China in person, the next best thing could be a virtual expe-rience provided by the China Cultural Center (CCC) in Sydney.
Adapting to the unique times and widespread lockdowns across Aus-tralia, the CCC launched its “Visiting China Online” project — a series of seven virtual exhibitions released one by one from mid-March, focused on introducing audiences to Chinese his-tory, imagery, and culture.
Xiao Xiayong, director of the CCC in Sydney, told Xinhua that his organiza-tion hoped to make the most possible out of the tragic pandemic to improve Australians’ understanding of China.
“This year’s epidemic has definitely affected us a lot. After February, many domestic groups were unable to travel,” Xiao said.
“During the epidemic, basically all art galleries and museums were closed, and offline activities were not available. Our online exhibitions became a window for everyone to understand Chinese art.”
The exhibitions include “Our Silk Road: Online Photo Exhibition,” “Col-orful and Diverse Splendid Costumes of Chinese Ethnic Groups,” “Bamboo Culture: Understanding Oriental Aes-thetics,” and “Exploring the Mysteries of Ancient Shu Relics.”
Through images, audio, virtual real-ity and animation, visitors can learn the history of Chinese script, explore the mysteries of the relics from the ancient Shu Kingdom in Southwest China, journey down the rugged paths of the Silk Road, and much more.
One of the highlight exhibits, set to launch June 12, focuses on China’s world-renowned Terracotta Warriors. The release is the culmination of the project and is intended to coincide with China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on June 13.
“Qin: the Past and Present of Ter-racotta Warriors and Horses” allows viewers to explore the world-heritage listed archaeological sites in Shaanxi Province and learn about the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.
Furthermore, history is brought to
life through related works such as the modern dance performance of “Sym-biosis,” Qinqiang dance drama “Soul of the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty” and other immersive expe-riences of the resurrected terracotta warriors and horses.
Xiao explained that the CCC sought to be as creative and advanced as pos-sible in how they crafted the virtual experience. “Ideal online exhibitions should use various new Internet interaction technologies, such as more images, audio, video, virtual reality, and flash animation, but the difficulty lies in the need for strong technical support, and the produc-tion takes time,” he explained.
To achieve this the CCC recruited the help of local organizations and artists to tailor the experience to Australian tastes and curiosities.
This included a collaborative series with the Sydney National Tourist Office and promotion of such titles as “Beijing Tourism Tips,” “Beijing Food You Like,” and “Top 10 Cultural Tour-ism Festivals in Beijing.” (Xinhua)
China’s cultural heritage goes virtual in Australia
EACH year on the 23rd of the fourth lunar month, Xiangnan Village in Nan-shan District is teeming with dancing, drumming, firecrackers and excited villagers as it’s the Marquis’ Birthday, a local festival that has been celebrated for over 300 years. This year, however, it was celebrated differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 15, the village held a livestream via the Daily Sunshine app to celebrate the festival, attracting nearly 1 million viewers from across the globe. The livestream included four sessions, namely, history of the Marquis’ Birthday, the worshipping ceremonies, other ceremonies and an introduction to festival food.
Xiangnan Village is an ancient vil-lage in Shenzhen, and the Marquis’ Birthday is part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage. Held during the pandemic, the livestream showcased Nanshan’s efforts in protecting its cultural heritage as it explored a new way to promote its intangible cultural heritage.
The marquis of Xiangnan Village Chen Zhongyong was one of the most prominent 12 nobles of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Born to an ordi-nary family, Chen fought his way to become a general and was given the title of marquis by the Ming emperor. To Xiangnan villagers, the marquis was a hero when alive and after his death, becomes a god who protects them from bad luck and disasters.
Once upon a time, as the village was seized by a plague, villagers held a parade in the name of the marquis to drive away the disease. Soon the plague vanished, and the villagers decided to build a temple for the marquis and hold ceremonies to annually worship the god on the 23rd of the fourth lunar month. Over the years, the celebration is seen by the villagers as a virtuous practice that has taught them to be decent, upright and respectful of laws and regulations.
Zheng Jianrong, who’s in charge of the festival, said that, every year on the festival day, villagers from home and abroad gather in the village to attend the ceremonies and pray for good luck. The celebration has gone beyond being a local tradition to becoming a bond between villagers staying at home and those living overseas, and a power that unites members of the Zheng clan.
Xiangnan Village has a lion dance troupe that is significant as a cultural
Nanshan celebrates Marquis’ Birthday online
mark of the village. Among the many ceremonies held during the festival, the lion dance is a high-light. It’s said that the history of the troupe could be dated back to the early 20th century during the Republic of China era. Back then, the troupe was frequently invited to perform in celebrations around the Nantou area. Unfortunately, due to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it stopped performing for decades and didn’t resume activities until 1985 when Zheng Yun, a villager who’d moved to Taiwan, reestablished the troupe. It started with over 30 members and has continued to grow since then.
Currently, the troupe is led by Zheng Guosen, a young man born in the 1990s. He has been learning lion dance since he was 15. Accord-ing to Zheng, the art of lion dance has been passed through genera-tions from masters to disciples, and it will continue to be so.
In addition to the lion dance, per-formances at the celebration include traditional art forms like Cantonese opera and martial arts. The festival also features traditional handicrafts which are used as utensils for wor-shipping rituals.
In 2009, the Marquis’ Birthday celebration was listed as a part of Shenzhen’s intangible cultural heritage. Today, the celebration has grown from a simple worship-ping ceremony among local villagers into a project that inherits the intan-gible culture and provides a spiritual home for overseas Chinese from the Zheng clan.
Having by far the most projects listed in Shenzhen’s intangible cul-tural heritage, Nanshan District has 18 projects, including two at the pro-vincial level, three at the municipal level and 13 at the district level.
(Lin Lin)
◄ Among the many ceremonies held during the celebration for the Marquis’ Birthday, the lion dance is a highlight. File photos
An extravagant banquet featuring poon-chai, a pot loaded with layers and layers of ingredients such as abalone, oysters, scallops and many more, was an inevitable part of the annual celebration. But this year, the banquet was skipped due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
