On July 5-6, the “2017 Experience China-Guangdong Cultural Tour to Europe” activities were held in the cities of Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, drawing attention from local mainstream media outlets and citizens.

“Chubby Women” sculptures expressing joy and confidence

On July 6, Xu Hongfei Sculpture Exhibition World Tour, a part of the Guangdong Cultural Tour to Europe event, started off in Hamburg. A total of 16 pieces of “Chubby Women” sculptures, produced by Xu Hongfei, a world-renowned Chinese sculptor, were on display at the city’s public places for 11 days, when local residents would be able to pay visits. Among the sculptures, the trio, namely City of Music, Love in a Fallen City and Mermaid, was just made for the exhibition. Delightful somehow by seeing the oriental chubby yet graceful women, which seem to freely express themselves, visitors couldn’t help to pose and take photos with the sculptures. By showing the chubby women sculptures, the sculptor aims to promote fitness, composure, harmony, optimism and confidence, which are confined to no particular culture and nation. And the exhibition, too, showed how people in Guangdong, China live an active and confident life to Hamburg’s citizens.
To merge beauty into cultural exchange and communication is a pursuit share by human kind, said Shen Haixiong, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee of Guangdong and Provincial Publicity Chief at the event’s opening ceremony. Sculpture as an art of solid materials, is a special bridge to connect cultures. The chubby women sculptures express the diverse, positive, harmonious and friendly attitude towards life the contemporary Chinese have adopted. Likewise, citizens of Hamburg could have a deeper understanding of the living environment and cultural values the modern China has.
Literature and art, as a mirror of an era, can best represent the styles and features of an era, Shen added. An influx of outstanding works of Chinese literature and art is emerging in a move to show the nation’s past, present and future days. It will facilitate the international cultural exchanges for China to bring such artistry with Chinese characteristics to the world stage.

Cultural Relics Attracting German Citizens

During the G20 summit, the exhibition, East Meets West: The Maritime Silk Road during the 13th-17th Centuries was held in the Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg (IMMH) and attracted local citizens and tourists. The event was a collaboration of IMMH with the Guangdong Museum and is also an important part of the “2017 Experience China-Guangdong Cultural Tour to Europe” event.
According to Peter Tamm, the curator of IMMH, the exhibits are selected from the period of thirteen to seventeenth century or from the Southern Song to early Qing dynasty in China, and through themes such as trading, religions, cultural exchange, historic sites, underwater archaeology, the exhibition demonstrated China’s contribution to the development and prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road and the progression of globalization.
Some 100 exhibits mainly came from Guangdong, China, ranging from porcelains, gold and silver jewels, spices, exporting paintings, silks, stone carvings, ancient books, metalwares, bamboo wares, ship models and etc.

Cultural Exchanges Leading to Great Achievements

On July 5th, the opening ceremony of “China Innovation” exhibition and the first publication ceremony of The Chinese Dream • Guangdong Story series were held in Visual Arts Center of Berlin, Germany. The event shows the Beautiful Guangdong photographs and innovative products such as UAV from EHang, a high-tech company from Guangzhou. The new edition of The Chinese Dream • Guangdong Story, published in Chinese and English by the Guangdong Publishing Group and the Guangdong People's Press, was released for the first time around the world. The series contains 4 books about Guangdong’s open, dynamic, innovative and sharing characteristics, telling Guangdong stories from various angles and providing a window for readers around the world to better know about Guangdong.