4th Maritime Silk Road Arts Festival to be held in Quanzhou

The 4th Maritime Silk Road Arts Festival will be held in Quanzhou, a historic city in Fujian Province, China. This event is set to celebrate the cultural heritage and artistic exchange between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road. With its rich history as a key port city on the ancient trade routes, Quanzhou offers the perfect backdrop for this annual festival, which aims to highlight the artistic traditions and creativity inspired by the maritime trade routes that once linked China to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.

About the Maritime Silk Road

Historical Context

  • The Maritime Silk Road was a network of sea routes used from the 2nd century BCE onward for trade and cultural exchanges between China and regions in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Peninsula, and East Africa. It was instrumental in the spread of goods like silk, spices, and porcelain, but it also facilitated the exchange of ideas, religions, and art forms.
  • Quanzhou, once known as Zayton, was a pivotal port along the Maritime Silk Road, flourishing during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The city became a melting pot of diverse cultures, and its historical significance is reflected in the festival’s focus on artistic exchange.

Key Highlights of the 4th Maritime Silk Road Arts Festival

International and Cultural Exchange

  • The festival brings together artists, performers, and cultural representatives from countries along the Maritime Silk Road. This year, participants are expected from regions such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, each bringing their unique artistic heritage to the event.
  • Through performances, exhibitions, and workshops, the festival will showcase the diverse cultures and artistic traditions that were shaped by centuries of maritime trade and cultural exchange.

Major Events and Activities

Art Exhibitions and Installations

  • The festival will feature a series of art exhibitions that highlight the artistic heritage of the regions along the Maritime Silk Road. This includes paintings, sculptures, textiles, and pottery that reflect the exchange of cultural influences through trade.
  • Special installations will showcase the integration of traditional and contemporary art, illustrating how ancient cultural practices have evolved in the context of modern global artistic trends.

Traditional Music and Dance Performances

  • One of the major attractions of the festival will be performances by traditional musicians and dancers from Silk Road regions. These performances will include Chinese traditional opera, Indonesian gamelan music, Arabian folk dances, and Indian classical music, offering a rich tapestry of sounds and movements that have been shaped by centuries of maritime trade.
  • International performances will be complemented by local folk arts, including Fujian opera and Quanzhou puppet shows, which are deeply rooted in the city’s culture.

Theatrical Productions

  • The festival will feature theatrical performances that explore themes of maritime trade, cross-cultural exchange, and the history of Quanzhou as a central port in the Maritime Silk Road network.
  • Collaborative productions between Chinese and international theater groups will aim to highlight the shared human experiences that have connected peoples across the seas for centuries.

Film and Documentary Screenings

  • Film screenings, including documentaries and historical films, will focus on the Maritime Silk Road, tracing its cultural and economic significance. These screenings will explore both the ancient and modern impacts of the Maritime Silk Road on global trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.
  • A special series on the silk trade and its influence on the art and culture of Silk Road countries will also be featured.

Culinary and Craft Demonstrations

Silk Road Cuisine

  • The gastronomy of the Maritime Silk Road will take center stage at the festival, with food stalls and cooking demonstrations showcasing traditional dishes from different regions along the route. From Chinese dim sum and Indian curries to Middle Eastern kebabs and Southeast Asian spices, visitors will experience a culinary journey reflecting the cultural diversity of the Silk Road.
  • A culinary competition will also be held, where chefs from participating countries will compete to create dishes that reflect the flavors of the Maritime Silk Road.

Handicraft Workshops

  • A series of craftsmanship workshops will be held, where visitors can learn traditional textile weaving, pottery making, calligraphy, and carving techniques that have been passed down through generations along the Silk Road. These crafts are not only artistic but also hold deep cultural significance, representing the fusion of different traditions along the route.

Cultural Diplomacy and Collaboration

Strengthening Global Ties

  • The 4th Maritime Silk Road Arts Festival also serves as a platform for cultural diplomacy, bringing together leaders, scholars, and diplomats from Silk Road countries to discuss issues of global cooperation, sustainability, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
  • Discussions and forums will focus on how the Maritime Silk Road can serve as a model for fostering cross-cultural understanding and economic development in the modern world.

Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Preservation

  • As part of the festival, there will be discussions on sustainable tourism and efforts to preserve the cultural heritage sites along the Maritime Silk Road. Quanzhou itself, with its historic temples, ancient buildings, and maritime museums, serves as a model for balancing the needs of modern tourism with the preservation of its rich cultural history.

The 4th Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival is scheduled to be held in the coastal city of Quanzhou, East China’s Fujian province, from Nov 22 to 27.

Titled “Colorful Maritime Silk Road and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations”, the six-day event will feature cultural performances, forums on artistic development and exhibitions of international intangible cultural heritages related to the Maritime Silk Road.

More than 1,200 artists, experts and scholars from over 40 countries and regions will convene in the city to take part in the festival, said Kang Tao, secretary of Quanzhou’s municipal Party committee, at a news conference in Beijing on Friday. Highlights of the festival will include a star-studded opening ceremony on Nov 22, displays of traditional art and handicrafts from 12 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia and interactions with internet users on major Chinese social media platforms Weibo, WeChat and Douyin.

The opening ceremony will showcase the city’s time-honored cultural heritages, such as puppetry shows and nanyin – one of China’s oldest musical performing art forms which was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. Starting in 2014, the biennial festival is hosted by the Chinese Culture and Tourism Ministry and Fujian provincial government, and organized by the Fujian provincial culture and tourism department and Quanzhou municipal government.

Quanzhou was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road – the ancient trade route formed centuries ago that linked the port city with the West, shipping Chinese treasures including silk products, porcelain and tea leaves to other parts of the world. Today, it is a pilot area for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road – the sea route in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative that would connect China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe through enhanced economic and cultural cooperation.

Source: China Daily                                                                       Update: November 11, 2019