Logo of the First ASEM Cultural and Art Festival
China has held various international cultural activities to enhance its cultural exchanges with other nations. The first Asia-Europe Culture and Arts Festival will be staged in Beijing from September 2 to 8, as a concrete result from the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit held last year. Artists, art groups and scholars from the 45 ASEM members are invited to this art festival.
Reporter:
The Asia-Europe Meeting, which was first launched in 1996, is a vital forum for dialogue between Asia and Europe. ASEM brings together members from 27 European Union Member States and 16 Asian countries and serves as the main multilateral channel for communication.
The members of the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting held in Beijing last October endorsed a cultural festival proposed by China. Lu Kang, Counselor from the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tells us the reason why Beijing was chosen the venue for ASEM's first cultural festival.
"After the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, we were more concerned about showing the ancient and modern culture of China to the world. Having a chance to hold this festival, Beijing will enhance international communication in various fields, thus making itself more known to the world."
With the theme "Sharing Diversity and Innovation", the festival will be presented on diverse cultural platforms including theaters, public venues and television. The weeklong festival will include various art performances, a book and audio-visual fair, film week, stamp and paper currency exhibition, an art collection exhibition of ASEM member embassies to China. There will also be cultural forums to deepen the dialogue between Asia and European civilization and share experiences on cultural development and cooperation.
Dong Junxin, Director of Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, believes that a successful Culture and Arts Festival will create a favorable environment for the economic and social development of the ASEM partners.
"As a multilateral activity, the festival will play an important role in strengthening the communications among ASEM countries and showing their diversified cultures. I believe through the festival, people from other regions can have a better knowledge of Chinese culture, and Chinese people will also have the chance to enjoy the achievements of other nations."
Among the many events on the festival agenda, a film week is supposed to attract movie lovers. China Central Television's Movie Channel will invite the public to experience worldwide culture at a film series. There will be 16 films shown during the week, including two Chinese films and 14 Asian and European films.
Among the two selected Chinese movies is "Flower-belt Bride", which has the countryside of southwest China's Yunnan province in its backdrop. It is said to be well worth watching.
Li Jian, Director of the International Department of the Movie Channel, tells us how the films were selected.
"The two Chinese films we arranged reflect the life of an ethnic minority group and Chinese martial arts respectively. As for movies from Asia and European countries, we neither choose blockbusters. Instead, we chose those that best reflect the cultures of foreign lands and make people recall their nostalgic memories, like the Indian movie, 'Awara'."
Performing art will be another highlight of the upcoming cultural festival. The opening performance is an classical Asian-European symphony concert, which will be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The festival will end on a high note with the Asian-European Ethnic Music and Dance Gala.
During the weeklong festival, four performances by Asian artists from Mongolia, the Philippines, and others, will present both the continental grandeur and oceanic romance of the Asian civilizations.
Meanwhile, five European music concerts will paint the artistic evolution of European cultures from classical times to modernity.
Poster of the opening performance of the ASEM Cultural and Art Festival: Asian-European Classical Symphony Concert [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Interestingly, the logo of the festival is very much symbolic. It features an arc that resembles the Great Wall of China, a cultural boat and the Earth. The logo on the whole also looks like the Chinese character "da", meaning "to flourish" and "to thrive". Dong Junxin, Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, explains.
"The Great Wall is synonymous with ancient Chinese civilization, indicating that the first ASEM Cultural and Art Festival is to be held in China. The cultural boat that resembles the contour of the Earth expresses the concept that the festival is like a bridge that connects Asia and Europe that are both rich in cultures. By taking on the meaning of 'to flourish,' the character 'da' implies that the Chinese people wish the world for prosperity."
If you are interested in the world's diversified cultures, you can also go to an exhibition of art collections from foreign embassies in China, or the Asia-Europe stamp and currency exhibition, which are part of this culture and art festival. You are sure to have an excellent cultural experience.
Poster of Exhibition of the Art Works from the Asian and European Embassies in China, one of the events of the first ASEM Cultural and Art Festival [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
