Poland given a glimpse of Tibetan culture

China’s Tibetan Culture Week, being staged in Warsaw, the Polish capital, is offering Poles a glimpse into Tibet’s culture and art.

It will also help deepen Polish understanding of Tibet and Sino-Polish ties, observers from both countries say.

The week-long cultural event, which opened on Monday, is the first of its kind held in Poland and features photographic and Tangkar painting exhibitions, a gala of Tibetan folk songs and dances, and academic exchanges between Tibetan and Polish scholars.

Cui Yuying, deputy director of the Information Office of the State Council, said: “Through these vivid exhibitions and performances, we hope to present to Polish people the cultural, economic, social and political achievements Tibet has made over the past several decades.”

The photo and Tangkar exhibitions feature more than 200 works by well-known Chinese and foreign photographers as well as more than 40 Tangkar paintings by Tibetan artists.

Longin Pastusiak, Poland’s former speaker of the Senate, said: “For me, this is a great discovery of the beautiful art of Tangkar, which is very colorful, exotic and original.”

Sylwester Szafarz, former deputy ambassador of Poland to China, said the cultural event will have a significant effect on Polish society and on Sino-Polish relations.

Ties between China and Poland have been developing rapidly but suffered a setback in 2008 when former French president Nicolas Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama in Poland.

Last year, China and Poland decided to elevate ties to the level of a strategic partnership.

Xu Jian, Chinese ambassador to Poland, said: “A better understanding of Tibet will have a very positive effect on the development of the Sino-Polish strategic partnership.”

Wieslaw Klimczak, chairman of Poland’s civil association, Polish House, said: “Very often we hear talk of Tibet in Poland by people who do not truly know and understand Tibet. So it is important for us to establish ties with Tibetan civil organizations and to strengthen people-to-people contacts.”

Lhakpa Tseten, deputy dean of the School of Humanities at Tibet University, said he hoped to see more Polish students enroll at the university to study the Tibetan language, history and culture.

Tibet University started to enroll foreign students in 1993.