In 1637, China’s first recorded travel expert, Xiake Xu, also a renowned geographer and productive man of letters, started writing his travelog Travel Note of Xu Xiake, which later became the first inclusive and informative China travel guide. This masterpiece illustrates the pristine natural beauties and amazing cultural wonders of all the 16 Chinese provinces he had covered. May 19, the day he began the first “Diary of a Tour of Tiantai Mountain” in Travel Notes of Xu Xiake, was established as “China Tourism Day” in 2011.
May 19, 2022 marks the 12th “China Tourism Day” with the theme of “Experience Chinese Culture and Enjoy a Beautiful Journey”. China Cultural Center in Stockholm hereby releases a variety of online culture and tourism events to share with you the charm of cultural tourism.
Charming Encounter with the Yellow River in Sichuan
The Yellow River, dubbed the “Mother River” of China, runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions, including Sichuan, Gansu, and Ningxia. Springing up in the Bayan Har Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yellow River flows eastward through Gansu before plunging into Sichuan. Due to Sichuan’s unique landscape, it evolves into a meander in its five counties, shaping the magnificent natural scenery of Ruo’ergai, Aba, Songpan, Hongyuan, and Shiqu.In Ruo’ergai County, the First Bay of the Nine Curves of the Yellow River and the Flower (Huahu) Lake Eco-tourism Area are picturesque; in Aba County, the Lianbaoyeze Scenic Area has mesmerizing scenery such as the glacial remnant, snow-capped mountains, and picturesque lakes and rocks; in Songpan County’s Huanglong Scenic Area, the Five-Color Pond is composed of 693 fantastic ponds; Hongyuan County enjoys fascinating Emetang grassland, Moon Bay, and Riganqiao Scenic Area; Shiqu County’s Changshagongma Wetlands is home to endangered species, such as black-necked crane and Chinese Merganser and one of the largest remnants of the last ice age on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.For tens of millions of years, the Yellow River has nurtured a splendid history and culture in Sichuan Province. The hand painted thangka is a unique painting art form. The thangka painting is superbly painted in rich colors and exquisite details by using bright mineral pigments. The ancient Tibetan chess is still widely popular in Aba County, and people can understand the laws of nature from the board game. The Hongyuan equestrian is passionate and exuberant, presenting traditional ethnic sports. The Tibetan folk song of Western Sichuan, inspired by people’s labor and spiritual beliefs, is characterized by a free, high-pitched melody. Ruo’ergai Tibetan medicine, originating from the local medical knowledge, incorporates the achievements of Tibetan medicine in all ages and modern medical technology, developing the excellent culture of Tibetan medicine for the sake of humankind.
The Pearl of the Silk Road—Online Exhibition of Kucha Murals
As a road for cultural integration and exchange between the East and West, the ancient Silk Road has contributed greatly to the common prosperity of mankind. Kucha（Qiuci）, located in present day in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region，was an important passage of the ancient Silk Road. The ancient Kucha was one of the famous Buddhist centers, where hundreds of grottoes were built. A total of 27 grottoes, over 800 caves and nearly 10,000 square meters of murals and painted clay sculptures are preserved in Kucha, reflecting the harmonious cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.As part of the historical record of the ancient Silk Road, Kucha murals are known as “seas of stories” for their wonderful and abundant content. More than 100 Jataka tales and Nidana tales and 60 Buddhist stories have been found in Kucha. The grotto art site, with its abundant murals of great variety, is something rarely found anywhere in the world. Rhombic paintings at the roof of the grotto are a unique feature of Kucha murals. The exhibition demonstrates the murals of Kucha, the pearl of the Silk Road, in four units, namely “Desert Relics”, “Magnificent Landscape”, “Glory of Humanity” and “Cultural Continuity”. The multicultural integration and collision will be displayed in a rhombic-themed online exhibition hall. The pursuit of truth, kindness and beauty of Kucha mural art will be displayed by stories of earnestness, sincerity, sacrifice, wisdom and virtue.Diversified cultures grow from exchanges and the richness of art comes with mutual learning and understanding. With more than 2,000 years of exchanges, the peaceful and common development of countries with different races, religions and cultural backgrounds has been flourishing. At present, we should inherit the spiritual heritage of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit in implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to achieve brilliant exchanges and communication in modern times.
“Friendly Shandong” short video broadcast, with harmonious, beautiful, bright and smooth pictures, comprehensively shows Shandong’s long history, splendid humanities, beautiful ecology, and fashionable urban style. Combining movement and stillness, the short video reveals Shandong with strong regional characteristics and full vitality.
Loving With The Sword At The First Glimpse，Starting A Relationship From Knowing The Celadon
Longquan celadon began in the Three Kingdoms and the Jin Dynasty, flourished in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and revived in the contemporary era. In 2009, the traditional firing technique of Longquan celadon was selected into the “Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage”, becoming the only selected ceramic project at that time.There is a city that has both the accumulation of thousands of years of culture and profound beauty. She is Longquan, the capital of Chinese celadon and the home of swords , which is located in the southwest of Zhejiang Province in China. The emerald mountains are surrounded by the gentle water at the source of the Ou River, the thousand-year-old kiln fire witnesses the beauty of Chinese creations, and the sounds of forging records the history of the city. All encounters here are reunions after a long separation. Walk into Longquan, to meet the poetic and picturesque splendor.The exhibition content of Longquan Celadon Museum mainly focuses on displaying the history of Longquan kiln and “intangible cultural heritage of mankind” – the traditional firing technology of Longquan celadon and other related topics, more than 10 basic exhibitions such as “Pearl of Celadon”. The exhibition makes full use of modern high-tech means such as sound, light, electricity, cartoon and phantom imaging, and reflects the display concept of “participation, interaction, experience, and sceography”. Here, you can have a wonderful “memory of celadon” journey.Online Exhibition Link: https://together-six.vercel.app/en
A Bite of The Silk Road — Xinjiang Cuisine Tour
The Silk Road is the road of material trade, cultural exchange, and food transmission. As the central part of the Silk Road, Xinjiang is the place where the four ancient civilizations meet. Because of its rich geographical resources and diverse cultural characteristics, Xinjiang has formed its unique food culture and styles. This project selects major cities of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, and tells the stories behind the delicacies, natural scenery, the vivid cultural features, and the fashionable, diverse, open and inclusive cultural atmosphere produced by the long-term integration of civilizations, bringing both visual and gustatory experience of Xinjiang’s typical food culture.
