West China showcase opens in UK
A weeklong event showcasing the culture of western China opened in the United Kingdom on Thursday, offering a glimpse of the lesserknown region.
The Cultural Exploration of West China tour, part of the Experience China series, kicked off in London, with dates planned in Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin, Ireland.
The tour, organized by the State Council Information Office, features an exhibition, a folk singing and dancing performance, and two films about Tibetan culture.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lu Wei, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said, “The cultural exchanges between the two countries have been going on for hundreds of years and have played an irreplaceable role in promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples.”
Lu said he hopes more people in the UK will become familiar with China’s multiethnic culture.
Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said western China is less developed economically than China’s eastern areas, but he noted that the region is now achieving fast growth.
Lu Guangjin, director-general of the State Council Information Office of China, said the nation’s culture is broad and diverse, but most people outside China only know about Han culture.
Noting that President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK in 2015 opened up a new era for Sino-British relations, Lu Guangjin said culture will play a more essential role in promoting understanding and mutual trust.
As part of the visit, Tibetan experts in the delegation met journalists from the Financial Times. They also took part in a seminar with scholars at the University of London, where they discussed western China’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative and exchanged views on topics related to the Tibet autonomous region, including history, development, environment, religion and society.
The exhibition, at the Mermaid Theater in London through Saturday, includes 18 cultural artifacts and 100 photographs portraying the colorful customs and vibrant economic development of western China.
Roger Croston, council member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, said, “I think it’s excellent for Western people, for British people in particular, to come and look at things in more detail, because they only read the newspapers, which don’t always give them a clear picture.”
Two films, Born in China and Roof of the World also were shown. Born in China is a 2016 nature documentary that tells the stories of a snow leopard family, a golden snubnosed monkey, a giant panda and a herd of Tibetan antelope. Roof of the World is the first Chinese documentary about life on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
I think it’s excellent for Western people, for British people in particular, to come and look at things in more detail.” Roger Croston, council member, Royal Society for Asian Affairs