Silk Road Fund Newsletter Grand Opening The Silk Route Museum Spring 2009 !!!!! Fall 2008 Volume 1, Issue 1 Silk Road Museum is in the final stages cause. Sculptures, Craftsman, Painters, Top Tales of Travel along of design and development and ex- and Artist of all types are pouring away The Silk Road pected to open during fall 2008. Design- with creativity as the interior design ers and developers have been working 7 brings the past alive. Design, Con- 1st Annual Silk Road Mu- 2 days a week in final preparation to open struction, & Technical workers are now seum Art Contest the Museum. Winter planning the growth of the Museum & was harsh and Master plan over the next year.. S.R. Fund continues efforts to 2 slowed work and preserve Wei Jin Tombs much damage was CEO, Chief Architect, and designer of done to the infra- the Museum, Mei Ping Wu says, “2008 National Leaders visit 2 structure by the is a year of birth for the Museum and The Silk Route Museum history will come alive. By Spring Festi- freezing tempera- The Silk Road Master Plan 3 tures, which added val in the New Year 2009, we will be Approved to the delays. traversing the Silk Route and the Mu- seum will continue to grow as a forever- Through determina- living Museum”. With the Silk Route S.R.F. CEO met with the edu- 3 tion the Museum Master Plan being approved and plans cational directors of has blossomed this to continue growing the Museum, she Changma Village spring with meaning has a vision to continue creating long Vice Governor Ms. Hui Xian and true spirit of the after the Museum opens in 2008. This 3 of GanSu visits is a life time project for all peoples. Silk Road Museum Equity Arts sends 200 Antiques to Silk Road Fund interaction 3 Silk Road Museum with Village Schools 200 plus antiques from Equity Arts Col- Yumen Silk Road Museum 4 conceptual plan accepted lections have been submitted to the Chinas’ Ministry of Culture & Heritage for repatriation to China to be dis- Through the Silk Road Fund, played in the Silk Road Museum. Equity Arts has set a precedent on others contributing to the Silk Registering these treasures of the Road Fund Collection. The fund world with the Culture and Heritage has received many pieces con- department will achieve many objec- tributing back to humanity. tives and first most important allow them to be displayed in the Jiuquan The 200 Pieces come from the Silk Road Museum & tour the world. Wei Jin Tombs at the Silk U.S. Equity Arts collection of arts Road Museum with over 30 belonging to the Silk Declaring these unique treasure, The Road Fund. The collection —This Wei Jin Dynasty was originally founded in 400 B.C. Silk Road Museum becomes a place of ranges from Jades, Metal Works, cultural trade as through histories past. Sculptures, Fossils, and more. —Renowned as the largest subterranean Displaying a diverse range of cultural Ranging from Ancient times to art gallery in the world and housing many colorful murals treasures & relics from The Silk Road. the 20th Century. —The unearthed & well-protected Xiliang 6 new Silk Road Antiques Donated to Fund Kingdom’s Mausoleum & Wei –Jin fresco tomb for “Dingjia zha”, are national key Silk Road Fund Collection receives 6 new protected sites Xigoutang Tombs. antiques for the Non Profit Collection. Two —Magnificent tombs describe the splendid sea fossils dating back millions of years were history of the beginning of civilization, Lee donated by John Gao of San Mateo, Califor- Hao & the history & tales of Xi Liang. nia from his personal collection. The four oth- —The tombs are largest in the province ers were from Mr. Li of Jiuquan. Three being with No. 5 fresco tombs of "Dingjiazha". ancient artistic bricks from the Silk Route and —This particular grave site dates back to one Neolithic wood bowl made from the trunk 386 B.C. Excavated in 1977 of a hard wood tree. These items will be on —The frescoes are divided into 3 seg- display in the Silk Road Museum in Jiuquan ments Heaven, Human World, and Hell and be proposed to be added to the traveling depicting the belief system of many relig- collection for 2010. ions. —Artistically the fresco has master art techniques for the age of B.C. which is prize treasure for all. Grand Opening The Silk Route Museum Spring 2009 !!!!! Volume 1, Issue 1 1st Annual Silk Road Museum Art Contest Silk Road Museum World- wide Art Competition be- gins and all artist are in- vited to submit there Silk Route Art. Equity Arts is sponsoring a competition worldwide for artist to com- pete in having their art on display at the Silk Road Museum Rotating Gallery. Over 100 pieces will be accepted to go on display for over one year and artist will receive honorary associate recognitions with benefits. Sculptures, Paintings, Crafts of all types and in art-works are acceptable. Contestants should visit: www.silkroutemuseum.com or email :[email protected] to learn more and submit your entry form. Silk Road Fund continues its efforts to preserve Wei Jin Tombs In May S.R. Fund CEO and Jiuquan Cultural Heritage leaders visited "Conservation Wu Wei tombs # 4, 5, and 6, with the purpose of continuing preserva- & Preservation tion efforts. are the The Tombs are currently in very good condition and secure but need further funding to install infrastructure to preserve the 3 sites. The loca- building blocks tion lacks electricity, water, and drainage systems. The outer landscape also need maintained and facilities remodeled to manage visitors. to our future Silk Road Fund preliminary budget is 15 to 20 thousand U.S. Dollars to in complete the preservation project and we are accepting donations remembrance through the Fund. The Non Profit also began a feasibility study to pre- serve tomb 7 which is a single tomb with several connecting tunnels. of the past" This project is expected to be a grander undertaking. Please visit www.thesilkroadfund.org where you can contribute to these emergency projects. National Leaders visits The Silk Route Museum during Spring Festival facing the cold temperatures. During Spring festival of 2008 Mr. Liming Yang of Chinas National Ministry of Transportation visited The Silk Route Museum facing the cold temperatures and bringing support for the project. With the Museum covered with snow many local, provincial, and national leaders made the trip with Vice Chairman Yang and toured the museum under construc- tion. They also received a presentation on the Silk Road Master Plan for future development. He gave the project much praise and committed support for easy transportation access to the Museum from the National highway. Also discussed was the need to expand access to this part of the Silk Road by train and plane during tourism season to meet the growing demands of tourism. Page 2 Become part of & Contribute at: www.TheSilkRoadFund.org Exploring, Traveling, and Trading in Culture and History !!!!!!!! Volume 1, Issue 1 The Silk Road Master Plan Approved for over 700 acres "Education The Silk Road Master Plan has been approved by the appropriate governmental authorities with final planning for remains the development to be completed during fall 2008. The Master Plan involves reproducing the Silk Route between Chang An “Xian” and Roma, includ- single most ing Hindu, Egypt, and Persia. important factor This project lies on over 700 acres and to be completed within a 2, 5, to the success of and 10 year plan. our youth and Design will cover the Silk Road Geo- graphically with major cities architec- the preservation ture replicating past times. Diverse Cultural Atmosphere, Service, and of humanity's Entertainment will fill the air with nightly, weekly, & permanent accom- future" modations. Silk Road Trade Markets will trade products of the world within the park and the facilities will reach world class standards. S.R.F. CEO met with the educational directors of Changma Village May of 2008 S.R.F. CEO met with He is expected to return in July of the educational directors of 2008 with an English curriculum Changma Village and begun dis- and spend more time teaching cussions on cooperation in form- English to the students. ing sister schools and culture and heritage education for the student The fund intends to expand a of Changma elementary and High program to arrange for a free day School. to come to The Silk Road Mu- seum with transportation for rural Michael met with several other village students like Changma. teachers and spent time with sev- Silk Road Fund is seeking dona- eral classes taking in questions in tions of time or money to expand English. these programs Silk Road Fund begins interaction with two village schools Vice Governor Ms. Hui Xian of GanSu visits The Silk Road Museum S.R.F Educational Director Lara Melissa traveled to Jiuquan China and met with local educational leaders and students. Vice Governor Ms. Hui The elementary school lies outside in the rural area of Jiuquan with Xian of GanSu visits students who grow up in the countryside farming & village setting. The Silk Road Museum during May 2008. She Lara spoke with several classes and shared a picture book of U.S. gave her warmest wel- students of the come and support for same age. She the project as she took on many toured the Museum questions from the grounds. students and shared her experi- The project was ences as a pointed out as a key teacher in the project for the province U.S.