Exhibition on cultural traditions of China’s Chengdu opens to residents in Sydney

SYDNEY, Jan. 24 (People’s Daily Online) – The exhibition “Artistic Quality Arise from Brocade Weaving — Artistry from the Homeland of Pandas” will be open to the public from Jan. 21 to March 4 at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Sydney.

A poster for the exhibition (Photo provided by China Cultural Centre in Sydney)

The exhibition is being co-hosted by the China Cultural Centre in Sydney and the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast, Television and Tourism, and is being organized by the Chengdu International Cultural Exchange Centre. Inheritance, memory and innovation are the key messages for this exhibition, as Chengdu and its people’s unique histories and stories are conveyed through the display of intangible cultural heritage. Not only will the exhibition provide an opportunity for locals in Sydney to fully experience the beauty of China's intangible cultural heritage, but will also act as a heart-warming embrace of everything Chinese in Australia during the pandemic, carrying all the best wishes for the Year of the Tiger.

Visitors discuss the exhibition (Photo provided by China Cultural Centre in Sydney)

This exhibition is comprised of five parts, including “Eternal Brocade Embroidery,” “Silver Filigree Paintings,” “Living with Bamboo,” “Giving Rise to Brilliance,” and “From Graphics to Shadow.” It begins with the brocade and embroidery artworks of Chengdu, using silver for paintings, bamboo and wood for wares, and showcasing the glory of lacquer and pottery, while presenting the legendary traditions of New Year’s wooden block paintings and shadow puppets, bringing together nearly 100 pieces from Sichuan’s various handicraft exhibits.

“Artistic Quality Arise from Brocade Weaving— Artistry from the Homeland of Pandas” (Photo provided by China Cultural Centre in Sydney)

As a city with over 4,500 years of civilization and over 2,300 years of well-documented history, Chengdu sits inside the Sichuan province of western China, a home to various kinds of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Its rich history is deeply intertwined with local people’s passion for craftsmanship. Currently, there are 229 representative projects associated with intangible cultural heritage in Chengdu, among which the weaving technique of the Shu brocade has been selected for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, having entered the list in 2009.