Archive for February 21st, 2010

China Travel – Huangpu River

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

The Huangpu River is the mother river of Shanghai City, which witnesses the ups and downs of this great city. It is regarded as the symbol and epitome of Shanghai City, and a very important place to go if you pay a visit to Shanghai City. There are many essential views along its banks, representing the past, today and future of the city.

It is better to start from Waitan, against the stream to the Nanpu Bridge in the south, and then to the north across the Yangpu Bridge to Wusongkou, and then back to Waitan. The Nanpu Bridge is the first bridge across the Huangpu River in Shanghai, which is 8,346 meters long. On the other bank of the river, there stands the TV tower of the Oriental Pearl, rising 468 meters to the sky. It is the highest TV tower in Asia and the third highest in the world after the towers in Canada and Moscow.

The Huangpu Park is the first park in Shanghai, where the cenotaph in honor of some Chinese heroes stands. An iron bridge called Baidu lies across the Suzhou River beside the park, which was built in 1907. At the bridge, the Shanghai Mansion (originally called Broadway) built in 1934 can be found.

The Yangpu Bridge is another bridge across the Huangpu River, the world’s No.1 cable-stayed bridge. The two bridges of Yangpu and Nanpu fly over the river like dragons, and the TV tower lies between the bank, presenting as a great picture of Two Dragons Playing with one Pearl.

Wusongkou is the joining place of the Huangpu River and the Yangtze River, and is near the spot where the Yangtze River empties into the sea. As a place where the Huangpu, the Yangtze and the East Sea join together, Wusongkou is famous for the view of water converging at the time of tide. The Huangpu River is of blue gray color, the Yangtze River is yellow because of sand, and the water of the East Sea is green. The different colors can be seen very apparently at the joining point.

(Source: chinaculture.org)

Beijing Olympic – Children’s Drama: Malan Flower

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Presenter: China Children’s Art Theatre
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Theatre
Dates: May 29 – June 01, 2009    19:30
Price:  VIP   380   280   180   120   80 RMB

Programme Introduction

Malan Flower is contributed to the 2nd Beijing International Children’s Drama Season.

Probably there is no musical purely “made in China” can match with Malan Flower in performance or spectators in China. Since its establishment in 1956, China Children’s Art Theatre has a history of 54 years. As a representative work of children’s play in China, Malan Flower has gone across over fifty years with three generations of spectators. Besides its eternal subject, attractive story and wonderful music, its everlasting art life lies in its constantly improving performing forms. The new version of Malan Flower has been changed a bit in forms such as stage art and scenario, but it will always bloom brightly for the industrious people.

Synopsis
The beautiful Malan Mount is covered with beautiful Malan Flowers. Xiao Lan was married to Ma Lang, the God of Flowers, and they enjoy a happy and harmonious life with Tree Grandpa and many lovely little animals. However, the piggish Old Cat killed Xiao Lan by using Da Lan, Xiao Lan’s elder sister who envied Xiao Lan, and tried to steal away the miraculous Malan Flower. Yet, Malan Flower always blooms for the industrious people.

China Children’s Art Theatre
China Children’s Art Theatre (CCAT), a state art theatre for children of the People’s Republic of China, founded in 1956, shoulders the responsibilities both of providing excellent plays and the inheritance, development and creation of plays for youth and children. As a state art theatre, CCAT has played an important role of demonstration and guidance in plays for children.

CCAT has created and staged many Chinese and foreign plays for children all around China. Its major repertoires include: Malan Flower; Newsboy; The Twelve Months; A Moonlit Cradlesong; Shangri-La; Andersen’s Life Journey; Pollywogs Looking for Mother; Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the Magic Forest, etc. It has won many kinds of important prizes for drama art and brought up a lot of talented cadres for the art of plays for children.

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)

Chinese Culture – Interior Painting(4)

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Prospects

Interior-painted artworks fall into three categories according to the materials used — natural crystal, glass and manmade crystal. Apart from the traditional round works, interior paintings have been expanded to include a variety of over 50 shapes. Interior-painted works have been presented as national gifts by State leaders to foreign politicians and friends and some of them have been collected by “the China National Arts & Crafts Museum”, “Linton Museum of Germany,” etc.

At art exhibitions held in America, Germany, Thailand, Canada, and so on, interior-painted works have been honored as “shining pearls in contemporary art”, enjoying a sound reputation worldwide.

From a pecuniary point of view, a first-class interior-painted snuff bottle can cost as much as 500,000 yuan (US$60496.8). A factory in Hengshui that specializes in interior paintings has hit a net profit of 200 million yuan (US$241,987.2). With many new innovations, the demand for interior-painted works far exceeds supply. Most of these works are exported to foreign countries where they are also given as presents or national gifts.

Source: chinaculture.org