Cultural connections gain fresh life
China DailyThe sculpture Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow on display at the Gansu Provincial Museum in June. Xu says that, in planning for exhibitions in BRI countries, it is essential that curators bring over cultural relics with elements that local audiences will be familiar with, or connect with in some other way. "At present, the exhibitions we have held in the BRI countries are mostly focusing on China's iconic cultural exhibits and about general history to help the local audience gain a basic understanding of Chinese culture," Xu says. For instance, the Splendor of Asia-An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations in 2019 in Beijing, showcasing 451 items of cultural relics from all 47 countries in Asia, including China, as well as the ancient civilizations of Greece and Egypt, proved a hit with Chinese audiences. "We have a splendid plan of curating a series of exhibitions of cultural relics and artworks that Chinese audience are not quite familiar with from BRI countries, including Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq," says Xu, adding that the first exhibition from Syria will kick off a two-year tour from June, starting from Shenzhen in the south.