On August 22, the Chinese traditional Qixi Festival (the 7th day of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar), a unique event was stated at the “Pictures of Farming and Weaving” scenic area of the Summer Palace, to promote the culture of both Summer and Winter Olympics. A series of activities that incorporated the Summer and Winter Olympic culture and traditional Chinese culture brought visitors a feast of culture and sports.
The event was part of the 14th Beijing Olympic City Sports & Culture Festival, jointly sponsored by Beijing Olympic City Development Center and Beijing Municipal Park Administration Center, and undertaken by Beijing Summer Palace Administration. It consisted of an exhibition on the culture and sport of Summer and Winter Olympic Games, non-for-profit lectures on the knowledge of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the parent-child interaction sports, DIY sessions on intangible cultural heritage, the touring themed exhibition to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Beijing 2008 Olympic games, and screening of sports documentaries. It combined the Olympic culture with the traditional Qixi culture. At the main venue staged at the “Pictures of Farming and Weaving” scenic area, the visitors were invited to the display of intangible cultural heritage techniques such as cloisonné enamelling and floating-paint paper making. Children could make their own souvenirs with the theme of Summer and Winter Olympics on the spot. The visitors could also listen to the lectures on knowledge about the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, watch the touring exhibition to mark the 15th anniversary of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and sports documentaries, and try to learn Taijiquan movements.
(Caption: Children holding the works they made using intangible cultural heritage techniques with elements of Summer and Winter Olympics)
(Caption: A girl is trying the floating-paint paper making technique.)
(Caption: A Taijiquan performance)
At the intangible cultural heritage DIY class, the teacher explained and demonstrated the process. “The coloring should not exceed half or two thirds of the height of the copper; otherwise the colors will get easily mixed.” After a demonstration by the teacher, Cheng Xu, aged 10, created a cloisonné enamelling painting of his own featuring the image of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. “I came with my mother. I want to give this to my mother and wish her happy Qixi Festival,” said Cheng Xu to the teacher.
(Caption: Children working on the cloisonné enamelling paintings)
(Caption: Children and their cloisonné enamelling paintings)
According to the organizer, in 2022, Beijing Olympic City Development Center and the Beijing Municipal Park Administration Center jointly held a themed picture exhibition and a lecture series during the summer holiday to promote the culture of Summer and Winter Olympics at the Eastern Bank of the Summer Palace, as a bridge between Olympic culture and traditional Chinese culture. This year, two sides teamed up once again. They chose the “Pictures of Farming and Weaving” scenic area in the Summer Palace for its cultural connotation of the Qixi Festival. Taking advantage of the Beijing Olympic City Sports & Culture Festival and the Traditional Handicrafs on the Qixi Festival event, it made full use of Beijing’s Summer and Winter Olympic culture and the popular science resources of the Summer Palace, explored innovative forms of cooperation and activities, with the aim of integrating the Olympic culture with the traditional culture and integrating them into the daily lives of the citizens, especially young people.
(Caption: Children reading the exhibition boards on the theme of the 15th anniversary of the Beijing 2008 Games)
The exhibition will last until the end of this month. In addition, at the Summer Palace Museum and Dehe Garden, activities were organized to promote intangible cultural heritage such as the cloisonné enamelling technique and popular science, with intangible cultural heritage displays in the western part and cultural and science popularization in the eastern part of the Summer Palace. While carrying forward the Olympic culture and raising public awareness of fitness, the event helped popularize traditional Chinese culture. After the fall semester started, the organizer brought the themed exhibition to mark the 15th anniversary of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the culture and sports exhibition on the Summer and Winter Olympics, the lectures on the knowledge of the Summer and Winter Olympics, and the themed science popularization activities to primary and secondary schools, to welcome the new semester with the culture of Summer and Winter Olympics and traditional Chinese culture.
(Caption: At a lecture on the knowledge of Summer and Winter Olympic Games)
Initiated and hosted by BODA in 2010, the Beijing Olympic City Sports & Culture Festival is an important Olympic legacy brand project recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It has been held for 13 consecutive years and played an active role in spreading the Olympic spirit, building a “healthy China” and helping to build Beijing into an international exchanges center. It has become an influential urban sports and culture brand for promoting fitness for all. This year’s Festival will last until the yearend.
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