Show helps foster mutual understanding

The exhibition of Chinese intangible cultural heritage in Russia is an important means to boost mutual understanding of the two peoples, an official from Moscow has said.

The two-day event, themed "National Culture from Qin Dynasty" (221-206 BC), opened on Monday at the China Cultural Center in Moscow, displaying various regional art masterpieces from Shaanxi province.

Bulat Nurmukhanov, head of the International Cooperation Division of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, emphasized the importance of the exhibition as this year and next mark the Cross Years of Culture between Russia and China.

Last month, the people of Moscow widely celebrated the Chinese New Year, demonstrating their appreciation for Chinese culture, he said.

The tourist flow between China and Russia has increased fivefold in the past year, he said, and such an exhibition will definitely boost mutual understanding between the people of both sides.

Oleg Dyadkov, deputy minister of culture and tourism in Moscow Oblast, said the preservation of intangible cultural heritage is important for all regions. A parallel can be drawn between the provinces of China and the regions of Russia, he said, as each region of Russia has its own identity, just like Shaanxi province.

"If big cities are famous for high art — their theaters, historical museums — then the regions are interesting for their historical cities and various crafts," Dyadkov said after admiring the famous Huxian farmers' paintings from Huxian county in Shaanxi.

Farmers' paintings are hand-painted with gouache watercolors on paper. They depict scenes of rural life and express painters' views, usually using vibrant colors, thick lines and exaggerated figurative patterns.

Gao Yang, director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Shaanxi, said the province is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and boasts the largest collection of intangible cultural heritages in China.

Monday's exhibition is a significant cultural event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Gao said. It is also an important project for the Sino-Russian Cross Years of Culture, aimed at enabling more Russian friends to know about Shaanxi.

Feng Litao, minister counselor of the Chinese embassy in Russia, said the first emperor of China ruled in Shaanxi 2,000 years ago, making the province a famous tourism destination for intangible cultural heritage.

"Not to mention in the 1980s, the first tourist route for foreign guests was developed and implemented in its capital city of Xi'an," Feng said.

A delegation from the province visited St. Petersburg on Saturday and met with teachers and students from St. Petersburg University, Gao said. Russian youngsters' enthusiasm for Chinese folk art and intangible cultural heritage impressed the delegation.