Monday , August 12, 2019 | 19 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Bringing the classics back to life
To revive a longlost tradition, the National Library of China has teamed up with the Confucius Museum to host a booksharing conference in Qufu, Wang Ru reports.
hen it comes to cele in the Qing Dynasty (16441911). brating Qixi Festival, “They are precious not only because or Chinese Valen they may have been given to the tine’s Day, certain tra Seeing the ancient Kong family by the emperor, but ditions W usually spring to mind. also because they show some royal While exchanging gifts and spend books with your own techniques never seen in folk art,” ing time with loved ones are com eyes will give you a says Wei. mon themes, in ancient times totally different Liao Ji, former director of the another custom was widely prac Chinese National Academy of Arts, ticed: leaving books outside the feeling — you will be says: “This set of stonecarved Con main doors of houses to air and able to appreciate fucian classics took more than 50 share them. It was forgotten in years to complete. The rubbings are recent years. their warmth.” exquisite and contain over 620,000 In ancient times, books were a Wei Li, bibliophile Chinese characters. It reminds me valuable commodity that was kept of another set of stonecarved under lock and key. While this habit works, the Xiping Confucian clas helped preserve them, books could sics, which were made under the just as easily fall prey to mold, In keeping with this tradition, guidance of Cai Yong, a man of let dampness or bookworms — and so the National Library of China has ters who lived during the Eastern the practice of airing them every teamed up with the Confucius Han dynasty (25220). However, summer took hold. Museum in Qufu, a countylevel only less than 9,000 characters During the Northern Wei Dynas city in East China’s Shandong prov from this work remain in existence, ty (386534), agriculturalist Jia Sixie ince, to organize the first Chinese and it’s much less complete than described how people followed this Traditional Book Sharing Confer the Qianlong work.” practice in Tian Gong Kai Wu, one ence. Opening on Aug 7, the day of According to Zhang, cultural rel of China’s earliest and most com this year’s Qixi Festival, the confer ics are relatively approachable arti prehensive agricultural records. ence and related book sharing facts for the general public to But just as the word shai, which events will run through Sept 6 at appreciate since they are often Above: Staff members show means “bask in the sunshine”, also venues located across the country. attractive as objects. But ancient visitors ancient books at the has the meaning of “showing off” in A day ahead of the event’s nation books, with their dogeared appear Confucius Museum during the modern Chinese, the tradition of al launch, a number of precious ance, hardtorecognize scripts and first Chinese Traditional Book showing and sharing books was lat ancient books went on display at often unfathomable content, are Sharing Conference in Qufu, er adopted. the Confucius Museum in Qufu, not so accessible. Shandong province, on Aug 6. “Originally, the custom was not including The Analects of Confucius, “But since President Xi Jinping Left and below: Some other specifically carried out on Qixi, but documents kept by the Kong family asked that we enliven ancient ancient books on show at the it always took place in the hot sum and rubbings from ancient stone books, we organized this event to event. mer months. Since Qixi happens to inscriptions. help make them more accessible PHOTOS BY WANG RU / CHINA DAILY fall during this period, people start Wei Li, a bibliophile based in Bei and give people a feel for them,” ed to show off their books during jing, says he was most impressed by says Zhang. the festival,” says Zhang Zhiqing, a set of rubbings of 13 Confucian “The sensation is similar to how deputy director of the National classics carved in stone under you feel when you meet a star face Library of China. Emperor Qianlong’s (171199) reign toface rather than seeing them on the screen. Seeing the ancient books with your own eyes will give you a totally different feeling — you will be able to appreciate their warmth,” says Wei. Among the ancient books on dis play, the Kong family documents are a highlight from the Confucius Institute, who is a 75th Museum’s collection. As the home generation descendant town of Confucius and his off of Confucius. spring, many documents, such as Other events related family trees and local chronicles, to book sharing will be were passed down through the fam held at salons, lecture ily and are now stored at the muse halls and exhibition um. spaces in many Chi “As an eminent family, the Kong nese cities over the family attached great importance to course of the month. protecting the literature pertaining In order to bring to their family. We have one set of back ancient books Kong family trees that was revised to life, Lian proposes during the Ming Dynasty (1368 that experts and specialists comb books, most ordinary people won’t ancient classics in the language of 1644), and another that was revised through the ancient works and pro have time to read them all. It’s bet modern times.” Experts discuss the preservation of ancient books and promotion of in the early 20th century,” says mote those that will resonate most ter that we guide them through the traditional culture at the launch of the first Chinese Traditional Book Kong Xianglin, a former vicedean with modernday audiences. process and choose a few key works Contact the writer at Sharing Conference in Qufu on Aug 6. at the Chinese Confucius Research “Since there are so many ancient for them to read, explaining the [email protected] Qingdao riding wave of success after inaugural music festival
By CHENG YUEZHU in Qingdao the city where most of the concerts porary Chinese compositions and [email protected] took place. arias from both Western opera and “I have come back to Jimo quite a Lyuju Opera, the opening concert Musical notes literally flew across few times in the past couple of years appealed to the diverse tastes of the the night sky of Qingdao, Shandong and observed its development. The more than 1,000 audience members. province, thanks to 200 drones put ancient city is being restored and a Ye Xiaogang, Chinese composer ting on a light show using the preci music town has been constructed. and artistic director of the festival, sion of high technology, while a Its music industry is becoming more brought his original composition traditional folk ensemble appeared prominent,” Lyu says. Starlight, a concerto for piano, cho at the central square in Jimo district At the opening concert in the rus and orchestra, which is probably to perform classic songs. Qingdao Grand Theater, he per best known for its performance at These events were a sneak peek at formed the Introduction and Rondo the opening ceremony of the 2008 what locals would experience during Capriccioso for Violin and Orches Beijing Olympics. the inaugural, oceanthemed, Tsing tra accompanied by the Tsingtao Ye has also created, alongside oth tional platform, and it is great to be tao International Music Festival — International Music Festival Orches er Chinese composers, a symphony able to work alongside all these set to become an annual event that tra, formed specially for the event composition entitled The Light of excellent musicians,” Song Chao, a will represent the coastal city in its and comprising 95 musicians from Qingdao, portraying the city’s rich Lyuju performer, says. entirety, through both its modern both home and abroad. history and coastal culture. According to Zhang Jun, secretary vitality and rich history. “I was not informed beforehand, He says by incorporating Chinese of the Jimo district committee of the The festival kicked off on Aug 2 so when I first came to the rehearsal, and Western music forms, the con Communist Party of China, the festi and concluded on Sunday after pre I was surprised to find so many cert was not only intended to satisfy val has proved effective in tapping senting 10 concerts, staged in not familiar faces — my previous class music enthusiasts with classical pie into the city’s music tradition and only opulent opera houses, such as mates, alumni and foreign musi ces from around the world, but to assisting the city’s integration of cul the Bluthner Grand Theater, but cians,” Lyu says. promote the development of Qing ture and tourism. even inside the factory of FAW Jief “The formation of a festival dao’s music industry. “After our initial preparation and ang Automotive. orchestra is of course very fascinat The concert showcased Shand promotion, many musicians and Lyu Siqing, renowned Chinese ing. It’s quite beneficial to create a ong’s regional Lyuju Opera in an major music companies have con violinist, says although he has per platform where musicians from all innovative way, by presenting this tacted us to cooperate with, and par formed many times in Qingdao, this over the world can communicate, traditional folk art form with orches ticipate in, our music events. Music Top: The opening concert of the 2019 Tsingtao International Music festival holds special meaning for create music and enhance under tral accompaniment. is indispensable in the development Festival held at the Qingdao Grand Theater on Aug 2. him personally, as his family is origi standing.” “Thanks to the festival, Lyuju of Qingdao as a modern and vigor Above: The concert showcases Lyuju Opera, a traditional folk art nally from Jimo, an older part of the With classical symphony, contem Opera can step onto this interna ous city,” Zhang says. form unique to Shandong province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY