Latest news with #DingjunMountain
Borneo Post
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Global experts call for cultural understanding, exchange in China's Harbin
Foreign experts pose for photos at the Chinese Baroque Historic and Cultural Block in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on July 12, 2025. – Xinhua photo HARBIN (July 24): While speaking of his bond with Chinese culture, 69-year-old British translator David Ferguson hummed a passage from the Peking Opera classic Dingjun Mountain, recalling how Chinese art has profoundly transformed his life. Ferguson, the honorary chief English editor of China's Foreign Languages Press, has lived and worked in China for nearly two decades. Over the years, his engagement with Chinese culture has deepened both professionally and personally – his son, who came to China with him as a toddler, has studied Peking Opera for many years and can now perform a range of opera pieces. He said he is proud of what his son has achieved, noting that his son's experiences have strengthened his belief that cultural exchange is his life's mission. Ferguson was a recipient of the inaugural Orchid Awards in 2023. The awards were established to honor international friends who have contributed to fostering cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. From July 11 to 14, Ferguson joined dozens of global scholars, cultural experts and awardees of this year's Orchid Awards on a visit to Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province famous for its unique music and cultural offerings. To Ferguson, meaningful dialogue between civilisations often takes place not on grand stages, but during ordinary encounters – much like his bond with Peking Opera. 'We tend to associate cultural exchange first with fine arts, but ordinary people are in fact the protagonists of most cultural interactions,' he said. He recalled a visit years ago to rural areas in northwest China's Gansu Province to learn about local poverty alleviation efforts. Foreign experts visit the Space Museum of the Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on July 11, 2025. – Xinhua photo In a village inhabited by the Dongxiang ethnic group, children welcomed him in a modest classroom by performing 'Auld Lang Syne' – a memory that remains vivid to this day. 'As a Scotsman, hearing the melody of my homeland in a Chinese village thousands of miles away brought tears to my eyes. It was the most precious gift I've received in China,' he said, noting that such moments of cultural exchange are more important than ever in a world troubled by conflicts and tensions. For German medical scientist Thomas Rabe, who also participated in the Harbin tour, cultural exchange has been consolidating his family's long-standing friendship with China and will continue to contribute to international peace and friendship. Rabe is the chairman of the John Rabe Communication Center, which is dedicated to commemorating his grandfather John Rabe for his role in protecting civilians during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, an atrocity committed during Japan's war of aggression against China. Over the years, Thomas Rabe has dedicated himself to compiling over 20 volumes of wartime diaries written by his grandfather. He has donated thousands of pages of the original manuscripts to Chinese authorities and Unesco. These diaries have become invaluable historical resources for research on the Nanjing Massacre. Rabe also shared with Xinhua how a China-German medical cooperation project he helped launch at Capital Medical University in Beijing enabled a Chinese cancer patient to give birth to two healthy children. For his contributions to cultural and scientific exchanges, Rabe was awarded the Friendship Envoy Award at the second Orchid Awards earlier this month. 'For my family, China has been, is, and will always remain our second homeland,' he said. Guo Weimin, president of the China Public Relations Association and deputy chair of this year's Orchid Awards expert committee, emphasised that cultural exchange is a vital force for connecting civilisations and advancing the development of human society. 'Visionary individuals from around the world, including the Orchid Awards honorees and nominees, have made outstanding contributions to international cultural dialogue and mutual learning among civilisations,' Guo said. 'Their efforts inspire confidence in our shared pursuit of peace and common development.' – Xinhua China cultural understanding global experts Harbin Xinhua
Barnama
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Barnama
CGTN: President Xi Jinping Urges Chinese Film Industry To Champion Culture, Innovation
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the country's film industry to produce more outstanding cinematic works that reflect the spirit of the times and express the aspirations of the people, as reported by China Global Television Network (CGTN). In a recent reply letter to eight veteran Chinese film artists, President Xi urged the broader film community to stay grounded in real life, strengthen cultural confidence, and contribute to the prosperity of the arts and the building of a culturally strong nation. The call comes as China celebrates 120 years of filmmaking since the 1905 silent black-and-white reel 'Dingjun Mountain', which featured Peking Opera master Tan Xinpei and is widely recognised as China's first-ever film. In stark contrast, the country's film industry today is characterised by technological innovation and global box office success, according to CGTN in a statement. The animated feature "Ne Zha 2", which tells the story of the rebellious boy-god Ne Zha and his dragon companion Ao Bing, has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time and one of the world's top five films by total earnings. To create its visually immersive scenes, including those with up to 200 million characters in a single frame, the film relied on advanced computer graphics and collaborative efforts from 138 animation studios across China. Other recent productions such as "The Wandering Earth 2" and the "Creation of the Gods" trilogy have also embraced cutting-edge technologies, including 3D printing and motion capture, to enhance cinematic storytelling. The English-language version of "Ne Zha 2" is scheduled for release in IMAX and 3D across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on Aug 22, according to CMC Pictures. In 2024, China recorded more than 1.01 billion cinema visits and hosted international film festivals in over 30 countries and regions. As of July 8, the country's cumulative box office revenue for 2025, including presales, exceeded 30 billion Chinese yuan (about US$4.18 billion), reaching the mark 28 days ahead of last year. (US$1=RM4.24)
Barnama
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Barnama
CGTN: A letter to inspire: Xi's words resonate across China's thriving film industry
BEIJING, July 15 (Bernama) -- In 1905, a silent, 30-minute black-and-white reel captured Peking Opera master Tan Xinpei performing as a general in "Dingjun Mountain" – China's first-ever film – ushering in an era of visual storytelling for the nation. Now, 120 years later, China has rewritten global box office records with "Ne Zha 2," an animated epic that stands as the highest-grossing animated film of all time and one of the top five films worldwide by total earnings.
