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November 23, 2009

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Autumn flourish of culture, art

THE creative juices flowed for artists and audiences in Changning District when the annual Hongqiao art festival blitzed the area with stunning performances by foreign and Yangtze River Delta region artists. Fei Lai soaked it all up.

All kinds of art and culture from around the world have flourished in Changning District where the past month has been a whirl of artistic colors.

The 2009 Hongqiao Cultural Autumn Art Festival concluded at the Shanghai International Gymnastics Center last Tuesday after opening on October 9 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It featured 75 events, including 270 performances, exhibitions and competitions.

Around 100,000 spectators savored the 7th annual festival, this one linked with the upcoming World Expo 2010.

The festival showcased Changning District's cultural image with its international communities and promoted it as an ideal district for both business and daily living.

Going international

The festival featured international events such as the Miss Chinese Cosmos Pageant 2009, the 6th Shanghai International Magic Festival and an exhibition of international mass culture arts.

Performances were staged by folk art troupes from Russia, Austria and Africa.

The event "Foreign Artists Getting into Communities" was popular and Gubei, an international community, was at its heart. Foreign musicians performed with Scottish bagpipes, accordions and a mix of violins and jazz drumming.

Last Tuesday, a Russian youth dance troupe strutted traditional folk dances from Russia, Ukraine and Germany, as well as modern dance and hip-hop. The combination of modern and classic folk and pop won applause from the audience.

To celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, 60 works from six Russian contemporary artists were displayed at Changning Library from October 30.

During the festival, the Hongqiao Modern Art Museum was opened to the public, featuring more than 80 works from 21 famous artists.

Another highlight of the festival was cultural interaction between different representatives of the Yangtze River Delta region.

A panel discussion on cultural development in the delta was held on October 10. Government officials from Changzhou, Zhenjiang and Nantong in Jiangsu Province, Bengbu in Anhui Province and Taizhou in Zhejiang Province reached a consensus that more exchanges should be conducted among the cities, and regular cultural activities should be held to promote different art forms.

A total of 10 performances featuring intangible cultural heritage from the region were held. Operas such as Yueju, Huju, Kunqu, Xiju and Huaiju were included.

Huagudeng (literally flower drum lantern) is a dance popular in Anhui Province. Originating from the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC), the dance was selected as a warm-up performance at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last year.

Mass culture

On October 28, a group of dancers from Anhui Sizhou Drama Troupe performed huagudeng for Changning residents.

As a folk dance characterized by fun, Anhui's huagudeng has its own unique style. Featuring colorful clothes and interesting dance steps, the folk routine was very popular. Also, performers from Jiangsu Haimen Folk Song Troupe performed Haimen folk songs, a kind of art form popular in Jiangsu Province.

On October 17, Mengyuanqu, a Huju Opera telling the story of how several generations of people finally achieved the dream of holding the World Expo, debuted at Wanping Theater. It was a celebrated homage to the World Expo Shanghai.

As an important part of the festival, "Pretty Jiangnan," a match of intangible cultural heritages in Yangtze River Delta, was unveiled on October 10.

Local residents took an active part in the festival.

Residents from districts such as Changning, Putuo, Huangpu, Jing'an, Zhabei and Baoshan gathered and performed dance, traditional operas and drama at Gubei area. Also, more than 1,400 public servants in Changning District contributed to an art festival.

On October 12, Yang Yunping, a senior art teacher at Fudan High School, presented a solo exhibition at Changning Library. Yang's paintings were under the theme of "World Tour," displaying both the culture and customs of other nations. Yang's passion in participating in Expo was seen as a good example for Shanghai residents.


 

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