AN ARTISTIC FEAST
Zhejiang Literary Center embraces high-tech transformation
There is a saying that a history of Zhejiang’s literature is half a history of Chinese literature. In Beijing’s National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature (NMMCL), the permanent exhibition about the contemporary Chinese literature is dominated by writers and works from East China’s Zhejiang Province.
Now Zhejiang has its own venue to showcase its profuse literary resources.
On September 25, 2023, two important events in the history of Chinese literature were celebrated: the birthday of Lu Xun, a 20th century literary giant from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and the establishment of Zhejiang Literary Center (ZLC) in Hangzhou. It was the 142nd anniversary of Lu Xun’s birthday.
Opening to the public in late October, ZLC is the second largest literature museum in China with a total of nine exhibition halls, only surpassed by the capital’s NMMCL.
As a new landmark of Zhejiang, the museum is the brainchild of generations of people in Zhejiang’s literary sector as it carries the responsibility of cultural inheritance and promotion of Zhejiang literature, whose writers takes up over 60 percent of the exhibitions at the NMMCL.
More importantly, the museum is designed to meet the public’s needs for literature. Its big data platform and use of digital technologies brought classic literature scenes to life and added new dimensions to literature appreciation.
Cheng Shiqing, curator of ZLC, told the Global Times that the museum is committed to creating a yearround literature-sharing platform that caters to individuals of all ages.
“We will try to host themed lectures every week and curate featured exhibitions every quarter of the year to foster a love for literature among the public, and deepen their understanding and appreciation of the literary world,” said Cheng.
On the one hand, the museum will bring together excellent literary resources from home and abroad. On the other hand, it will promote more outstanding Zhejiang writers to the national and international stage. These are the two missions of the museum.
In a bid to bring the development of literature to a new height, the museum is on course to build three research centers, one dedicated to Chinese literature big data, one to contemporary children’s literature research, and one to China’s international collaborative translation.
“The translation center is dedicated to promoting exchanges with foreign writers and we welcome foreign counterparts to Hangzhou to experience the rich history of Chinese literature,” Cheng said.
Three-dimensional exhibits
In addition to the conventional way of displaying exhibits, one of the highlights of the museum is to present classic scenes of literary works by means of digital technology, giving readers an immersive experience into the process of creation.
Having refined 129 photos from Lu Xun’s life, the modern literature hall of the museum pulled together a dynamic view of the literary giant’s journey in writing.
A towering 14-meter-high space is meticulously designed to connect the four distinct landscapes of Zhejiang with their corresponding poems and poets. This provides visitors with a poetic perspective of how the region’s breathtaking natural beauty inspired a series of classic rhymes.
Paintings in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were used as symbols to show the boldness and gracefulness of the poems written in that period.
Scenes from some classic works such as Lu Xun’s Hometown, Mao Dun’s Spring Silkworms, and Dai Wangshu’s Alley in the Rain, were reproduced and presented at the museum.
“Leveraging the massive amount of data, we have applied digital technology in presenting a Chinese literary geography and various informational graphs. The smart devices added a new dimension to the conventional exhibits,” said Cheng.
“Taking a big step in the application of digital innovations, we are trailblazers in digitizing Chinese literature. We hope to set an example for the industry,” the curator said.
Interactive space
Since its official opening on October 28, the museum has received about 3,000 daily reservations, and some well-designed events and exhibitions have drawn floods of visitors on weekends.
One of the most popular exhibitions pays tribute to Louis Cha (Cha Leung-yung), also known as Jin Yong, another literary legend from Zhejiang.
The show is dedicated to commemorating Jin’s 100th birthday in 2024. Born in Haining in 1924, Jin was regarded as one of the greatest and most popular martial arts writers.
Xu Jing, an official with ZLC’s publicity department, told the Global Times that the exhibition sheds light on Jin’s life and works, and it’s also the first time that some manuscripts of the writer has been presented to the public.
Swords, bows and arrows, which are featured in Jin’s novel, were replicated and installed in the hall to give visitors an interactive experience of Jin’s “martial arts world,” and a digital reading space was set up to allow people to read or listen to
his novels.
Various versions of Jin’s novels are on display, including the earliest versions originally serialized in newspapers, which were widely circulated in the Chinese mainland, as well as abroad through versions in English, French and Japanese.
Younger readers have been captivated by a space dedicated to children’s literature.
“We wish to make the children’s literature space into a parenting space, where adults and children can interact and develop a love for reading and writing. It will also evoke adult readers’ childhood memories,” said Cheng.
“We want to have relics find their home in our museum. Most importantly, we want literature lovers to find their home in the museum,” Cheng said.
Nestled along the banks of the Yellow River, a picturesque ancient town Qikou, which was one of the most prosperous settlements in North China’s Shanxi Province, offers breathtaking beauty to visitors. The town, with its traditional architecture nestled amidst rolling hills, exudes an aura of tranquility and timelessness. Travelers from all over the world pass through the ancient town, coming to experience the unique culture of the Yellow River Basin and the beauty of the ancient villages with distinctive northern China characteristics.
In the past, the Yellow River played a crucial role as a transportation route for goods between northern and southern China. To ensure the efficient operation of this transportation system, Qikou emerged as a significant trading port.
Merchants would anchor their ships at Qikou and then transfer their goods onto camel or horse-drawn caravans for further transportation over land. Qikou gained prominence during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, earning a reputation as one of the Yellow River’s most significant ports.
Booming tourism
In recent years, with the enhanced efforts in cultural preservation, governments at all levels have continuously increased investment in the restoration and protection of historical buildings and ancient residences in Qikou, promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism, making it reborn as a “living ancient town.” Ancient buildings such as escort agencies, pawnshops, and warehouses tell the story of the town’s past prosperity.
Tourists from all over the country flock to the town, allowing the local people to benefit from the booming tourism relying on the unique culture and ecology of the Yellow River.
The locals, with their warm hospitality, proudly share stories of their ancestors who relied on the Yellow River, known as the “Mother River” of China, for their livelihoods. The name “Qikou,” roughly translates to mean “moraine” or “a rock in shallow water.” The stone walls, weathered by time, stand as a testament to the resilience of the people who called this place home.
In order to protect them from flooding, many of local houses, known as “yaodongs” or “loess cave houses,” have been physically carved into the steep hillside along the banks of the Yellow River.
On a slope that stretches for hundreds of meters and is inclined at about 40 degrees, there are rows of cave dwellings arranged in layers, which are both scattered and unique in their own ways. Rock erosion over the years has created a form of beautiful “modern art.”
Located about 10 kilometers south of Qikou, the small village of Lijiashan is renowned for its myriad of over 400 yaodongs carved into the cliff-face of Lijia Mountain.
The Global Times has learned that during this year’s Golden Week holidays in October, Qikou was a hot destination for domestic travelers, with a daily flow of people exceeding 10,000. The scenic area has also launched traditional folk agricultural cultural performances with hundreds of participants, showcasing scenes of threshing, winnowing, and transplanting, vividly showing the hardworking and agricultural spirit of their ancestors.
“The ancient village here truly showcases the local folk customs, all of which origi
nate from agricultural culture and the most primitive farming life. This is very attractive and novel for visitors from the south, allowing us to experience the charm of the Yellow River,” a tourist surnamed Liang from East China’s Jiangsu Province who came to Qikou on November 2 for sightseeing told the Global Times.
Caves turned to studios
Nowadays, the authentic Lijiashan village is attracting more visitors as villagers have transformed their idle cave dwellings into art bases, art studios, and art exhibition halls, creating a renowned art creation base both domestically and internationally. They have also utilized vacant houses to develop rural tourism and accommodation industries, seizing the opportunity of rural tourism and expanding their income channels.
The 62-year-old villager Yang Yanmei often uses her spare time as a tour guide to walk on the paths of Lijiashan and telling stories of past generations. As a fan of traditional opera, she and her husband enjoy spontaneously singing Shanxi opera or local traditional melody adapted from local stories. She always wears a sincere and sanguine smile, impressing tourists with her simplicity and humor.
Chen Yuxiang, 58, who lives in the east of village, wears a white head scarf and a green floral jacket, basking in the warm sun while sitting under the eaves and picking coriander.
In 2022, Chen started using her mobile phone to record her rural life with her husband – farming, cooking, and showcasing various authentic Shanxi cuisine. She has over 200,000 followers on short video platforms.
Chen showcases her joyful life to tourists with a humorous tone and rich expressions, which earns her a lot applause. People are amazed by the resilience and optimism that have been passed down through generations on the lady living on the Loess Plateau.
71-year-old villager Li Yuecheng leads his donkey through Qikou’s ancient town while singing local folk songs. He decorates his donkey and offers it to tourists for rides during the low season for agricultural production.
The recovery of the tourism industry benefits largely from the local government’s significant investment in protection of the area in recent years.