The“Appreciating Chaoshan · Post-traditional Chaoshan Culture Art Exhibition” was held on the morning of November 18th, 2022, is officially opened at the Art Gallery of Esther Hall. The exhibition showcases the outcomes of Chaoshan culture research and the curatorial project carried out by students from Shantou University. The student groups are mainly responsible for the planning, survey, arrangement and publicity.
The“Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition” aims to show the rich art culture of Chaoshan region in the form of an exhibition, and hopes to deliver students with the integration and changes of the Chaoshan historical culture and modern culture during the exhibition.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was decorated with a phoenix kite made by Mr. Chen Wangsong, a municipal inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
Kites made in Chenghai are the intangible cultural heritage of Chaoshan, which integrates design, painting, and flying high. The methods of making kites are various. The Phoenix kite designed and made by Mr. Chen Wangsong for the opening ceremony of “Appreciating Chaoshan” is beautifully colored and highly ornamental, as if reflecting the vigorous and positive spirit of the teachers and students of Shantou University in inheriting and innovating the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The phoenix kite implies good wishes for the continuous development and bright future of Shantou University.
Mr. Chen Dongteng Performed whisked tea of the Song Dynasty in the opening ceremony
Detailed steps of whisked tea of the Song Dynasty include more than 10 steps, such as roasting tea, crushing compressed tea, grinding it into tea powder, sifting tea powder, optimizing the tea brewing, warming the tea bowl, putting tea powder into a bowl, concocting tea pastes, adding and dripping the boiling water, stirring with a tea whisk, dividing tea and other steps. Mr. Chen Dongteng performed whisked tea of the Song Dynasty accompanied by gentle music, showing the guests present a perfect whisked tea of the Song Dynasty.
▲The Whisked Tea Made by Mr. Chen Dongteng
Address Made by Prof. Hao Zhifeng, the President of STU
As Prof. Hao Zhifeng quotes, “Culture is the soul of a country and nation. Our country will thrive only if our culture thrives, and our nation will be strong only if our culture is strong.” He believes that “Chaoshan culture, as an important part of the fine traditional Chinese culture, has a deep root and rich spiritual connotation, and contributes most to the cultural confidence of the Chaoshan people. The “Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition organized by Esther Hall shows the excellent achievements of talent cultivation by fine traditional Chinese culture. The works displayed in this exhibition vividly demonstrate the far-reaching Chaoshan culture and the spirit of the Chaoshan people who play with the tides bravely. The youthful students of STU are the youth of the new era. They should be the ones who can not only “appreciate Chaoshan culture” by deeply knowing and understanding the intangible culture of Chaoshan, but also “lead Chaoshan culture” on the initiative by illustrating the history of Chaoshan and promoting the culture of Chaoshan.”
Address Made by Cai Yinghui, the Dean of Esther Hall
“Since its establishment,Esther Hall sticks with ‘inheriting and innovatingfine traditional Chinese culture’ as one of thecentral topics oftalent cultivation and invests itself in cultivating talents through something that’s representative of the Chaoshan culture. The“Appreciating Chaoshan · Post-traditional Chaoshan Culture Art Exhibition” is firstly about appreciating the traditional Chaoshan culture, and secondly about appreciating the prevailing cultural trend and evolving the new from the old.“Post-tradition” means to feel the smell of modernity between the“clashes” where traditional culture encounters contemporary culture, which is an attempt at cultural innovation. Esther Hall will join hands with all of you and unremittingly continue to cultivate outstanding female talents of the new era that are possessed with vision, wisdom, commitment and accomplishment.”
Address Made by Zeng Yici, the Student Representative of the Planning Team of the“Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition”
“Summing up the past six months, we created an exhibition out of nothing and firmed up the original concept. Asa group leader, Ifullyengage in theexhibitionplanning and get as much out of this experience as possible. In the transition from being anxious and bewildered to being systematic, I gain increased leadership skills. I am no longer worrying blindly while facing difficulties, but seeking a breakthrough constructively. I guess this is consistent with the educational philosophy of Esther Hall which aims to cultivate the practical ability and social responsibility of female students. I believe these experienceswillcontribute a lot to my power to face the future and push me to embrace change, and make progressive growth.”
▲The Awarding Ceremony of Practice Base of Intangible Culture
▲The Investiture of Instructors of Intangible Culture
▲The Inauguration Ceremony of“Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition”
The exhibition areas are mainly designed and completed by the students from STU,which is a perfect combination and display of the university’s professional practice and talent cultivation through the fine Chinese traditional culture.
In the roar of the waves, visitors get to know the frontier in trading opened up by Chaoshan businessmen. With the fragrance of tea, visitors understand the quiet and elegant lifestyle of Chaoshan people in detail, refreshing with a cup of tea and finding inner peace. By appreciating the exquisite and unique Chaoshan embroidery and Chaozhou paper cutting, visitors see the skillful or intricate arts deriving from papers and scissors. Through the historical window of“the rise of development of modern Chaoshan females’ education”, visitors experience the development and transformation of Chaoshan females’ education today.
Fairs and Sales of the“Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition”
It is a wonderful all-embracing fair and sale, including stalls of whisked tea of the Song Dynasty, Chenghai Kites, puzzle solving to Chaoshan Opera, and various steamed rice cakes. Students have been amply exposed to the rich connotation of Chaoshan culture in the“Appreciating Chaoshan Art Exhibition”. They could also go to the fair and sale, immersing themselves in the fine Chaoshan traditional culture.
The brightsilkskirts are dancing with the wind, and the girls under the swings are like butterflies fluttering, echoing the shiningkites flying high in the sky andshowing the joy of spring.
Spreading out a small paperto write therunning script leisurely. Boiling water, making tea, sifting tea powder and tasting tea by the window on a fine day.
If visitors does not enjoy themselves to the full by the performance of whisked tea of the Song Dynasty, they can go to the fair to further appreciate the performance, taste the whisked tea made by the professional master and comprehend the tea culture of the Song Dynasty.
Snow and flowers are together with riddle-solving games, while snow and moon are accompanied by Chaoshan Opera.
Approaching the handicraft workshops, quietly painting the element paper fan and mask,having a conversation with yourself peacefully in a blend of colors, and enjoying the colorful elements of Chaoshan Opera. Culture nourishes the soul and after clearing your mind, you can go to the stall of puzzle solving to Chaoshan Opera, experiencing brainstorming relating to Chaoshan Opera and the beautiful sparks of different thoughts.
While the holes of the leavened steamed rice cake look like the holes made by loach, the sweet steamed rice cake is as dense as stone steps.
Guo (steamed rice cakes) are made of rice flour, which is the best to satisfy visitors’ hunger. After replenishing with a cultural feast of fine Chaoshan traditional culture, visitors might also want to feed themselves adequately. The hot Chaoshan steamed rice cakes smell so good that keep visitors stop. Even the Haotao Guo, Teochew Chi Kak Kuih and Fun Kor all look like peento peach, they are different in taste. Various ingredients enrich the types of steamed rice cakes. Together with the stallholders’ vivid narration about the stories of steamed rice cakes, visitors deepen their understanding of the culture of Guo (the steamed rice cakes).
Depicting the Scenes of Chaoshan, Showing Extraordinary Splendour
—The Culture Salon ofAppreciating the Painting ofThe Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan—
Zhou Zhensong, the Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China, held a lecture on“Depicting the Scenes of Chaoshan, Showing Extraordinary Splendour - The Culture Salon ofAppreciating the Painting ofThe Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan” in the multi-function Hall of Esther Hall on November 18th, 2022. He shared with students about the whole creation story of this painting.
Part One
Background Information
A Place Where Immortals Live Worship Culture Education
In the spring of 2013, Shantou Municipal Party Committeedecided to build the “Chaoshan History and Culture Exhibition Center”,aiming to build the cultural highlandsand touristdestinationwithChaoshanhistory and culture, thusenhancingcultural confidence.
Writing A Splendid Next Chapter in Flourishing Age
While determining to build the cultural center, the MunicipalPublicity Departmentresolved to organize 100Chaoshanpainters to createa 100-meter scroll of painting. The painting ofThe Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan, therefore, is created at the right moment to represent the natural landscape and places of historical interest in Chaoshan, and to reveal the remarkable Chaoshan region that nurtures many great men and the close-knit and enterprising humanistic characteristics.
Why does the painting depict the scenery of“Chaoshan” rather than“Shantou”? The Deputy Secretary expressed that“Chaoshan culture is an inseparable whole. Shantou, as a regional cultural center, should look at the overview of the Chaoshan region.”It is intended to promote unity, boost confidence and raise the profile of the whole Chaoshan region by means of culture.Therefore, the painting is namedThe Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan.
Part Two
Process of Creation
Zhou Zhensong, the Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China, is illustrating the process of creating the painting
Process of creating the scroll painting
It took four years to complete the creation of the painting -The Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan. Under the leadership of the Publicity Department of Shantou Municipal Committee, Xu Qinsong led 128 painters at home and abroad to discuss, conduct culture tours, and create and alter the painting. Zhou Zhensong, the then member of the standing committee of Shantou Municipal Committee and minister of the Publicity Department fully participated in the whole process. The group of painters started to discuss the creation in 2013, and after many culture tours for inspiration, joint painting, and modification, the painting was completed in 2016.
Nan’ao Bridge Depicted in The Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan
“Look at the Nan’ao Bridge on thepainting scroll.”the Deputy Secretarypointed to the painting and said,The Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshandepicted the look of Chaoshan of“now”.The painting was created around the key line of“three rivers and five mountains”. When the painting started in 2013, the construction of the Nan’ao River has not yet been implemented. However, after the River was officially opened in 2015, the team added this latest important cultural landscape to the place reserved in the painting.
Part Three
Perception
“We cannot afford a delay of a few years!” the Deputy Secretary said,“the painting scroll serves asthe excellent representation of the Chaoshan people’s unity, and the best‘group photo’of the prosperous Chaoshan culture.” The opportunity is offered by the era and becomes an opportunity for each of us. At the end of the lecture, the Deputy Secretary summed up his perception during the process of creatingThe Wonderful Scenery of Chaoshan.
With the effusive talk by the Deputy Secretary, the stories ofthis60-meter painting and its creation process that coheres with all painters’ painstaking efforts are unfolded to the students present. It is a group photo of the Chaoshan people’s unity. The fact that many of the painters who participated in the creation have passed away impresses students. They become more aware ofthe humanistic spirit of the Chaoshan people and their unitycontained in this painting. They all expect more opportunities to experience and carry forward Chaoshan culture in the future.
Group Photo of the Opening Ceremony
Group Photo of the Culture Salon
And finally,
Esther Hall invites you to the exhibition!
Venue
Art Gallery, the 2nd floor of Esther Hall
Date
November 11th, 2022 to November 18th, 2023
Opening Hours
From Monday to Thursday
9:00—11:30
15:00—17:30
From Friday to Sunday
9:00—11:30
15:00—17:30
18:30—21:00
