18 | Monday, February 24, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Museums exhibit tech Shows of solidarity nous for home users
XI’AN — Li Bin, an avid visitor of museums from the northwestern Chinese city of Xi’an, has never had a better view of the upholstery of a chair in Beijing’s Palace Museum. Sitting comfortably at home and putting on a device featuring virtual reality technology, Li toured the museum through its online exhibi tion program, getting an upclose and personal view of the precious exhibits presented in crystalclear 3D. “During a field trip to the Palace Museum, it can be tough to visit some of its hidden places and view all of the palace decorations in detail,” says Li. “VR technology has made these expe The nation’s performing arts riences possible.” Amid the coronavirus outbreak, industry is working hard to many museums and galleries in Chi na have been closed to visitors to pre lessen the potential financial vent the spread of the epidemic. impact of COVID19, as well as However, they have launched or repackaged various online exhibi using technology to serve tions to provide a satisfactory touring audiences as best it can now, experience for the country’s vast number of stayathome visitors. Chen Nan reports. In Chongqing in Southwest China, the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum and the Chongqing Natural History Museum are among those offering exhibitions online. Visitors can find audio guides to nevitably, the novel coronavi promoting charity performances According to Zheng Honglin, who more than 30 exhibitions and videos rus outbreak has had a mas and offering free shows to medical is in charge of Gong’s program, it is on 10 others through CCTGM’s offi sive impact on China’s workers on the front line of the about training young talent to cial account on WeChat during their performing arts market. fight against the epidemic. About adapt traditional Chinese poetry virtual tours of online exhibition IAccording to a report released by 60 performing arts venues in Bei into songs as a way to promote and halls. Beijing Municipal Culture and jing and over 100 performing arts preserve traditional Chinese poet Shanxi Museum, which houses Tourism Bureau on Wednesday, in venues from other Chinese cities, ry. over 400,000 artifacts, is offering the capital alone over 4,300 cultur including Shanghai and Tianjin, Consisting of three parts: vocal online tours through various plat al activities have been canceled signed the proposal. training, traditional Chinese poetry forms, including its website, WeChat since Jan 23, including 17 temple According to Chen, the munici research and anthropology of account, and microblogging service fairs during Lunar New Year. Bei pal government of Beijing has also music, the program was scheduled Sina Weibo. jing’s 372 cultural centers and launched policies to support and to be launched on Feb 10 in Beijing, “We have repackaged our online libraries, along with it 183 muse help performing arts companies but has now been commuted into resources and provided them to view ums have been closed. Over 5,000 financially. After the novel corona an online course through popular ers,” says Ren Xiaojing, an IT official performances, which were sched virus outbreak, the government will podcast platform, Himalaya FM. with the museum. “While viewing uled to be staged in the city during provide subsidies and allowances Since Feb 10, the online program exhibitions online, visitors can learn Spring Festival, have been can to performing arts venues. “About has been listened to about 80,000 a lot of background knowledge. It’s celed. Top and above: Folk singer Gong Linna (center) performs in a con 500,000 tickets with low prices will times. not a bad way to visit the museum “The impact of the coronavirus cert about 24 solar terms during a national tour in 2019. She enga be offered for 2,500 performances,” from home.” outbreak on the capital’s perform ges in an online music education program, as part of a project to a quote that appeared in Beijing Contact the writer at ing arts market is huge. With per tackle the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. PHOTOS Youth Daily on Thursday stated. [email protected] XINHUA formances canceled or postponed, PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY On Wednesday, 28 measures for the revenue could potentially fall by helping and supporting the cultural 25 percent or more this year,” said according to the venue’s website, performance venues, many art enterprises regarding the current Chen Dong, director of Beijing and ticket holders can apply to institutions, including Beijing Sym novel coronavirus outbreak were Municipal Culture and Tourism refund their tickets online. phony Orchestra, China National released by the municipal govern Bureau during a news conference Those disappointed by the deci Acrobatic Troupe and China ment, including the theaters’ rent to discuss the findings of the report sion to cancel shows extended far National Peking Opera Company, subsidy and the increasing of loans on Wednesday. He said that over beyond Beijing. have released performances online to cultural enterprises. 22,000 performances were held in Stereolab, a UKbased band, has through social media platforms. As part of the effort to tackle the Beijing in 2019, which attracted announced the cancellation of their Museums and libraries, too, have impact of the novel coronavirus audiences totaling more than 10 China tour, where they were due to opened online channels in an effort outbreak on the performing arts million and generated over 1.7 bil play in Beijing on March 21 and in to offer their cultural services to the market, Beijing Culture and Arts lion yuan ($242.5 million) in boxof Shanghai on March 19. people. Fund, which was founded by Bei fice revenue. “It is with heavy hearts and a “Nearly 20,000 performances jing Municipal Culture and Tour For example, more than 80 shows deep concern for the people of Chi have been canceled from January to ism Bureau, has extended its and 60 public activities hosted by na that we announce the cancella March across the country and the application date and adjusted the the National Center for the Per tion of the Stereolab tour in March. boxoffice loss is over 2 billion schedule of performances of fund forming Arts from Jan 26 to March The tour has been a long time in the yuan,” a report issued by China supported projects. The fund will 1, including workshops, movie works … we (are) still hoping to res Association of Performing Arts on also increase financial support for screenings and exhibitions, have chedule these shows,” announced Feb 7 stated. smaller performing companies. been canceled, and nearly 50,000 the tour organizer, Splitworks, an On Feb 17, the China Association One of the projects, which tickets are expected to be refunded. independent music promoter in of Performing Arts released a pro received money from the Beijing From Jan 25 to April 5, over 20 per China. posal encouraging the online Culture and Arts Fund in 2019, is a formances at the Forbidden City Though the coronavirus out streaming of performances that are music education program initiated Concert Hall have been canceled, break has closed the doors of many affected by the outbreak, as well as by Chinese folk singer Gong Linna. Special Wuhan composition makes European debut
ANTWERP, Belgium — The pre Tiger, Hidden Dragon, created the between man and nature, calling on miere of renowned Chinese musician new piece during his flight from New the world to fight COVID19. Tan Dun’s new composition, Sound York to Brussels earlier this month. “I hope that we can commemorate Pagoda — The 12 Sounds of Wuhan, The composition was written to our friends in Wuhan and let the was performed by the Antwerp Sym honor Wuhan’s percussion instru world remember the fabulous music phony Orchestra in the city’s Queen ments as the city is known throughout enabled by the city through the sound Elizabeth Hall on Feb 15. the world for its cymbals and gongs. pagoda built by 12 Sounds of Wuhan,” The concert, conducted by Tan, was The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra Tan says. “These 12 gongs are no the first held by the international has three Wuhan gongs, which were longer physical instruments, but a music community to extend love, care played during the performance. sound bridge connecting Wuhan to and support to the central Chinese city “The Wuhan gongs, which have left the world.” of Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel a deep impression around the world, Filip Stuer, director of communica coronavirus outbreak, which has are a must for symphony orchestras,” tions and marketing of the Antwerp caused over 2,200 deaths and infected says Tan. “Without the Wuhan gongs, Symphony Orchestra, says: “I believe more than 75,000 people in China as there would be no such wonderful that the fight against COVID19 is a of Friday. classical music as Beethoven’s Ode to global fight, and not only China’s to Around two pools of clean water in Joy or Mozart’s Requiem. win. I firmly believe that we are capa the center of the stage were placed 12 “This is why Wuhan and its people ble of winning through concerted gongs, one of the first Chinese musical hold a special meaning for musicians,” efforts and cooperation. instruments that made its way into Tan explains in front of a large gong. “I feel honored to be able to organize Western orchestras. It was no coincidence for Tan to this concert. We would like to offer our Dedicated to supporting Wuhan’s choose 12 large gongs to perform his sympathy to all those involved, as well battle against the epidemic, Tan, who new composition. “The 12 Sounds of as our support to the doctors and sci has won both an Academy and a Wuhan symbolizes not only the entists, and to all those who are help Grammy Award for his original com 12hour life cycle, 12 Chinese zodiacs ing to contain this epidemic.” position for soundtrack of the Oscar and the 12 months, but also a spiritual winning blockbuster Crouching culture and harmonious coexistence XINHUA