ChinaDaily[971202-8]

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China Daily

97 / 12 / 02 /

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1. An art of manifold beauty
2. Hard work spells success
3. What's on (Page 10, Date: 12/02/97)
4. [INLINE]
5. [INLINE] __
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An art of manifold beauty
A PRODUCT of old China when she was the self-assured centre of
oriental culture, lacquerware embodies the soul of traditional
Chinese culture, carrying with it a meaning that goes far beyond
functional use of daily utensils, said Professor Zhang Yan of
Southeast University in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
In the latest issue of the journal Literature and Art Studies, she
describes the different schools of modern Chinese lacquerware
developed since the beginning of this century.
The first is the folk-flavoured lacquerware that flourished early
this century.
The Shen family in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, was very important in
the history of this lacquerware.
Shen Shaoan, founder of the Shen family workshops, perfected the
family's "bodiless" lacquerware in the late Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911).
"Bodiless" lacquerware is seen as one of the three treasures of
modern traditional Chinese handicraft products, the other two
being the cloisonne of Beijing and the porcelain of Jingdezhen,
Jiangxi Province.
"Bodiless" lacquerware is so named because it is built up on a
base formed from silk which is removed once the lacquer has
hardened.
It is noted for its lightness, durability, colour, lustre and
exquisite patterns.
At the turn of this century, the Shen family reached its height
with six brothers running a chain of workshops.
They invented the technique of mixing fine powders of gold and
silver with lacquer, before applying it to the surface of the
ware.
This new technique added bright gold and silver tones to the
traditional crimson and black colours of lacquerware.
In a book on lacquerware, scholar Zhu Qiqin of the late Qing
Dynasty noted that lacquerware made by the Shen family would not
change colour or shape after being immersed in water for a long
time, and that foreigners were willing to spend thousands of gold
coins on a single piece.
The Shen family sent its exquisite pieces to foreign markets and
won many international awards before the 1930s. But wars started
to rage, and the family gradually declined.
At this time, another influential figure began to shine in Chinese
lacquerware history.
Born to a poor craftsman's family in Fuzhou, Li Zhiqing went to
Nagasaki in Japan in 1924 and returned home after two years of
internship in lacquerware workshops there.
Li tapped into his experience with painting, jewellery, porcelain
and Japanese lacquerware to create original works that marked him
as a new talent in the ancient art.
Together with other Fuzhou craftsmen, Li developed the innovative
tinfoil lacquering method, based on traditional techniques.
In this method, the piece is first covered with tinfoil. After
outlines of people or flowers are cut into the foil, the tinfoil
within the outlines is removed.
Then a thick layer of lacquer is applied to the whole piece. After
the lacquer dries, the remaining tinfoil is removed, and different
coloured lacquers are applied to these now recessed surfaces.
Finally, the whole body of the ware is smoothed and the surface
shellacked.
In the 1960s, Li Zhiqing and his student, Shi Xuanrong, produced
100 model boards demonstrating the stage by stage techniques of a
variety of traditional and modern lacquerware techniques.
Li remained active until the late 1970s as an important
inspiration for younger artists.
Prior to this century, because of poor transportation,
southwestern China was less influenced by the outside world than
the rest of the nation. Hence, its lacquerware preserves a more
local flavour.
Dafang of Guizhou Province is noted for a lacquerware that is
moulded on a base of horse or buffalo skin, which is shaped after
dipping in water, then dried over a fire.
Qing scholar Zhu Qiqin recorded that the finest examples of Dafang
lacquerware were gourd-shaped containers which held sets of
plates, cups, bowls and trays for as many as 10 people.
A complete set of ware might weigh as little as 0.5 kilogram. It
was an indispensable piece of equipment for travellers, according
to Zhu.
In Sichuan Province, one can find folk-flavoured lacquerware in
the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing.
Chengdu lacquerware demands delicate execution in the carving, as
the elaborate patterns are created on a very thin layer of
lacquer.
Chongqing lacquerware often features folk legends and the designs
are formed with egg-shell inlaid beneath the lacquer.
In the Qing Dynasty, the city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province became
a national commercial centre of main lacquerware workshops.
Cupboards and screens made here are still very popular, with their
propitious phoenix, peony and other designs.
A local saying counted lacquerware as one of the three Pingyao
treasures -- along with beef and potatoes!
Other areas in Shanxi also produce lacquerware.
Xinjiang County of southern Shanxi boasts the yundiao (cloud
carving) technique, with patterns carved into some 80 layers of
lacquer.
Jishan lacquerware is moulded on a tree root and inlaid with a
constellation of mother-of-pearl pieces, each no larger than a
grain of rice.
On the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and
Anhui provinces mothered thousands of learned scholars in the Ming
(1368-1644) and Qing dynasties.
Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, became famous for its lacquerware in
the late Qing Dynasty when scholars joined in its design and
raised the aesthetic level with their profound knowledge of
literature, history and painting.
The background colour of Yangzhou lacquerware is a simple deep
purple or dark green, very exceptional among Chinese lacquerware.
Sometimes the scholarly artisan would lacquer lightly over a
simple sketch and leave it without any further decoration.
Mother-of-pearl is widely used in Yangzhou. Unlike the artists of
Jishan, those of Yangzhou keep the shells as intact as possible
and the finished designs feature rainbows of colour glittering
against dark backgrounds.
In the first half of this century, the workshop founded by Liang
Fusheng in the 1860s gained a fame similar to that of the
workshops of the Shen family of Fuzhou. Its products were exported
in great volume through Shanghai.
While other lacquerware producers vied to develop more complicated
skills and work in more levels and with inlays, Liang Fusheng and
his disciples modeled their works faithfully on the masterpieces
of scholars, who would leave most of their wares' design areas
empty, except for some stones, orchards, bamboos or pines placed
inconspicuously in a corner.
Beginning in the mid-Ming Dynasty, southern craftsmen were
recruited to work in Beijing for the Imperial Palace, where they
created an imperial style of lacquerware.
While the Yangzhou lacquerware excels in plane-surface portrayals
of natural scenery, Beijing leads in relief designs that reflect
the magnificence of the royal family.
Beijing lacquerware often uses gold powder. In the 1930s, there
were more than 400 lacquerware craftsmen in Beijing. The Longhehao
and Juxinhao workshops near the Forbidden City boasted the best
golden lacquerware.
Since the 1950s, Beijing craftsmen have been working to bring
imperial lacquerware into ordinary people's homes. They downscaled
the ornamentation and developed a new style in scarlet, with sharp
curves and complex patterns.
At present, most Chinese lacquerware factories aim at the foreign
market and emphasize traditional techniques. But artists in
academic schools are exploring new horizons in lacquerware design.
Shen Fuwen can be seen as the father of contemporary Chinese
lacquerware in the academic sphere.
Born in Fujian Province, Shen also went to Japan to study
lacquerware, as did Li Zhiqing.
In the 1940s, Shen went to the Dunhuang Grottoes on the ancient
Silk Road in Gansu Province. Inspired by the colourful sculptures
and frescoes in the Mogao Grottoes, he created more than 100
breath-taking lacquerware works.
The great modern painter Xu Beihong once wrote that Shen's works
were unprecedented, that Chinese art circles were fortunate to
have such a genius.
Since the 1950s, Shen has formed a new style that combines the
features of bronze works, stone carving and ancient ceramics.
Shen was the first person to introduce lacquerware as a formal
course in art schools. The Sichuan Art Institute he founded in the
late 1930s has reared generations of modern artists.
In the late 1980s, lacquer art departments were set up in art
schools such as the Central Academy of Arts and Design, and
lacquerware assumed its proper place among the arts.
As the industrial life of China reaches higher levels, people will
tire of the faceless machinery products that alienate them from
nature.
In the next century, natural artworks such as lacquerware will
arise once again to enhance man's appreciation of the beauty of
life, said Professor Zhang Yan.
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 12/02/97_
_Author: Liu Jun_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Hard work spells success
TSERINDONZHOP has spent his life involved with various cultures --
growing up as a Tibetan, and being educated by the Chinese and
Western cultures.
This 40-year-old Tibetan is now deputy director of the Central
Iron and Steel Research Institute of the Ministry of Metallurgical
Industry.
Born into a cadre's family in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
of Northwest China's Gansu Province in 1957, Tserindonzhop was the
only son in the family. His parents cherished great hopes for him.
His early education was greatly disturbed by the "cultural
revolution" (1966-76).
Graduating from high school at 16, he gave up the opportunity to
work in the city and joined the trend of "going to the countryside
for re-education," as most of his contemporaries did.
He spent three years in Maqu, a small county 160 kilometres from
his home, working and living with local Tibetan herdsmen.
The experience taught him a good lesson which he never learned in
school.
"Not until then, did I have an in-depth understanding of the
Tibetan culture and a strong feeling of being a Tibetan," recalled
Tserindonzhop.
Furthermore, the three years of living in the county forced him to
be a hard-working and persevering young man.
When he returned to his hometown in 1976, he began to work in a
research institute of farm machines.
Two years later, Tserindonzhop took part in the national
university entrance exam in 1978, but he did not attach much hope
to it.
Unexpectedly, he was admitted to the mechanical department of
Northeast Polytechnic Institute in Shenyang of Liaoning Province.
But college life was hard for this Tibetan at first. The local
food, totally different from Tibetan cuisine, did not stimulate
his appetite.
Worse than that, he barely understood the Northeastern dialect
spoken by his teachers.
Tserindonzhop also found it difficult to catch up with his
classmates mainly because of his poor educational background.
But the persistent 19-year-old stumbled ahead step by step. He
studied English from scratch and managed to catch up with the
class in the first semester.
He got to know a lot of Han classmates and became involved in
their culture.
When his four years of college came to an end, Tserindonzhop, who
had felt terribly homesick, could hardly wait to return to his
hometown.
Because of his outstanding performance in college, Tserindonzhop
was invited to work in the Central Iron and Steel Research
Institute of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry in Beijing.
He knew little about the capital city except for memories of his
only visit in 1976.
It was the first time he saw the world featuring modern industry.
One evening, he leaned on the fence along the pavement of Chang'an
Boulevard. The sight of vehicles streaming by stunned him.
"In a split second my eyes were opened. I marvelled at everything
I had never seen before. The world became much bigger than I
thought," recalled Tserindonzhop.
He never expected that one day he would stay and be part of the
capital city.
During his first year at the institute, he took part in the design
and on-site conduct of seven key projects which all resulted in
success and won him a good reputation in the institute.
In June 1986, the institute asked him to attend a three-year
programme in co-operation with the State University of New York,
which trained Chinese elite in business administration.
Approximately 700 applicants throughout the country took the
admission exam. He became one of the 40 members of the programme.
He spent the next three years studying at the State University of
New York in Buffalo. Tserindonzhop quickly adapted himself to the
tense studies and Western way of education.
"What I learned was not only the basic technique and knowledge,
but above all the ability to survive the cut-throat competition of
business," he said.
Tserindonzhop was the top student in the class and got his MBA
degree.
During his stay in the United States, he frequently visited
Montreal and Toronto where many Tibetans lived.
To his surprise, he found many of the Tibetan expatriates knew
little of China and were ignorant of how rapidly the country had
developed over the past decade.
He told them about the tangible changes in China over the past
decade and clarified their distorted image of China.
Three years flew by. He came to a crossroads in his life. He could
continue to study for his PhD in the United States or find a
promising job in a foreign company.
But he gave up the opportunities . He decided to return to the
institute which, he thought, would be a larger stage on which to
demonstrate what he had learned.
Upon his return, the institute was undertaking an all-out reform.
Tserindonzhop was sent to work on the reform committee and was one
of the youngest members.
He began to work on the computer, making an overall analysis of
the institute and soon came up with several reform projects.
His suggestion on financial reform, in particular, brought about
great results. The institute recorded a stable increase in profits
ever since the project was put into operation in 1988. This served
as a good example among other academic institutions for their
reform.
In 1988, Tserindonzhop was promoted to deputy chief economist of
the institute, in charge of the annual budget.
With the rapid development of coastal areas, another ambitious
plan came into Tserindonzhop's mind.
After making a thorough survey across South China, he suggested a
branch institute be set up in Hainan Province where a promising
market was taking shape.
In 1992, he was appointed president of Sanqiang Trade Co Ltd in
Hainan. The company expanded its business rapidly and covered the
markets of Hainan, Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces, and Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Now the company has become the institute's financial pillar and
training centre of administration elite.
With his career in full swing, Tserindonzhop never forgot his
hometown and his Tibetan people.
He was concerned about the exploration of natural resources and
the development of technology in the Northwest. He kept a close
eye on the economic development of his hometown and was an
intermediary in many projects that brought investment to the local
area.
At 40, Tserindonzhop should have embodied the quintessence of his
contemporaries. He had a bright future at his fingertip and a
happy family with a considerate wife, Zholmatso, and an 8-year-old
daughter.
But Tserindonzhop said he was still confronted with more
challenges.
As deputy director of the insitute, running the institute
effectively with 3,000 workers has been his first concern.
The more he worked, the more he felt the importance of "recharging
himself with knowledge."
He began to study for a doctoral degree at People's University of
China last year.
"Time passed quickly. Every day has a full schedule," said
Tserindonzhop. "I don't know what is before me. I just take every
day seriously."
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 12/02/97_
_Author: Yu Yang and Zhi Dongsheng_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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What's on (Page 10, Date: 12/02/97)
EXHIBITIONS
Folk art show -- The Qin Gallery is holding a folk art exhibition
of authentic Ming and Qing folk art items including new year
paintings, embroidery, shadow puppets and paper cuttings.
Time: 9:30am-6pm, through December 31.
Place: Qin Gallery, Ritan Dongyijie, east of Ritan Park, Chaoyang
District, Beijing.
Tel: 6507-4062.
Medici collection -- Italian Medici Collection Show is running at
the Working People's Cultural Palace, ushering in the '98 China
Year of International Fine Arts. the exhibition features original
works of Michelangelo and Sandro Botticelli.
The Medicis were the famous Italian family that ruled Florence
during the Renaissance (1300-1600). Florence at that time was very
prosperous and formed the focus of Renaissance art. The Medicis
patronized Michelangelo, the most famously gifted sculptor of the
Renaissance or perhaps any era.
Through the efforts of the family, especially Lorenzo de Medici,
Florence and their home boasted a rich collection of Renaissance
artwork.
Time: 8 am-5 pm, until January 10 next year.
Place: Working People's Cultural Palace, east of Tian'anmen
Rostrum
Tel: 6403-1631
Oil paintings show -- An art exhibition of young Chinese oil
painters "March Towards the New Century" is running at the China
National Art Museum.
Time: 9 am-4 pm, until December 7
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252.
Israeli paintings -- Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman is
presenting a solo show "Flock of Sheep" at the China National Art
Museum.
The show features 550 colourful oil paintings of sheep heads,
arranged on the museum's floor, giving the visitors a feeling of
walking among an extraordinary flock.
His works have been displayed over the past 30 years in more than
100 famous museums of Israel, USA, Europe, Japan and Korea
including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Tate Gallery in
London, and Centro d'Art Contemporano in Italy.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, until December 20.
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252
BALLET
Swans from Russia -- The Kremlin Ballet from Russia will perform
two immortal classical ballets -- "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker"
-- at the Beijing Beizhan Theatre.
Set up in 1990, the theatre boasts a number of first-class ballet
dancers. Most of their performances are classical. While
maintaining its own unique style, the theatre also borrows the
best from other schools. Headed by art supervisor Andre Petrov,
the 72-member ballet offers a happy ending to the 1997 China
International Opera and Ballet Year.
The activity is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the
Ministry of Radio, Film and Television, and organized by the
Beijing Venus Performing Agency and the Beijing Suoyou Culture
Development Corporation.
Time: 7:15 pm, December 5-6 ("Swan Lake"); 7:15 pm, December 7
("Nutcracker")
Place: Beizhan Theatre, 135 Xiwai Dajie, Xicheng District
Tel:6500-3388 ext 530
German plays violin -- Anne Sophie Mutter Johannes will perform in
Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of Brahms's death (1833-97).
Mutter began to learn play violin at 5. Guided by master musicians
Herbert von Karajan and Yehudi Menuhin, she is now acknowledged as
one of the most outstanding violinists in the world, having toured
countries in Europe, America and Asia. It is her first performance
in China and she will perform representative pieces by Brahams.
She will be accompanied on the piano by the world-famous pianist
Lambert Orkis.
Time: 7:15 pm, December 5.
Place: Beijing Century Theatre, Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District.
Tel: 6495-1005 or 6495-1002
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_Date: 12/02/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Updated on September 24, 1997

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_[1]The 15th Party Congress_

_[2]Sep. 12 - Sep.18, 1997_

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[3][LINK] _[4]General Secretary Jiang Zemin's
Report to the 15th Party Congress_
[5][LINK] _[6]New Party Leadership elected,
Top Leaders' Profiles_
[7][LINK] _[8]Communique of 15th CPC Central
Committee's First Plenum_

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Feedback: [9]cd...@chinadaily.net

_Copyright by CBnet ®, China Daily Information_

References

1. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
2. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
3. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
4. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
5. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
6. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
7. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
8. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
9. mailto:cd...@chinadaily.net

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[1][LINK]

[2][LINK]

[3][LINK]

[4][LINK]

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_Chinese, U.S. Presidents Hold Press Conference _

WASHINGTON, October 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Jiang
Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton have agreed that China
and the United States should strengthen cooperation in
building a strategic partnership oriented toward the 21st
century, with a view to promoting world peace and
development.
This was stated by Jiang during a joint press conference by
the two presidents Wednesday.
The two presidents also shared the view of holding regular
visits between the two countries' heads of state,
facilitating a Washington-Beijing presidential communications
link, triggering the mechanism of a regular exchange of
visits by foreign ministers and other cabinet officials, as
well as strengthening cooperation in economic, scientific and
technological, cultural, educational fields and in law
enforcement.
Jiang described his talks with Clinton as "constructive and
fruitful," and believed that his ongoing visit could attain
the goal of enhancing mutual understanding, broadening common
ground, developing cooperation and building the future.
The two presidents also agreed to handle bilateral relations
and differences in line with the principles of mutual
respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs,
equality and mutual benefit, and seeking common ground while
putting aside differences.
Clinton said that Jiang's visit to the United States gave
them the opportunity and the responsibility to build a future
that is more secure, more peaceful, more prosperous for both
peoples.
The two countries share a profound interest in a stable,
prosperous and open Asia, and a strong interest in stopping
the spread of weapons of mass destruction and other
sophisticated weaponry, Clinton said.
He said he agreed to move ahead with the U.S.-China agreement
for cooperation concerning the peaceful use of nuclear
energy.
In both China and the United States, trade has been a
critical catalyst for growth, and China is the fastest
growing market in the world for America's goods and services,
Clinton said. He also said the United States would "do
everything possible to bring China into the World Trade
Organization."
Referring to the Taiwan issue, Jiang said that China wishes
to effect the peaceful reunification of the motherland by
means of implementing Deng Xiaoping's concept of "one
country, two systems."
But China is not committed to giving up the use of force in
this regard, he said, adding that this does not target the
Taiwan compatriots, but direct against the foreign force
interfering in Taiwan affairs and against the scheme that
would attempt to separate Taiwan from China.
On the human rights issue, Jiang said the current world is a
rich and diverse one, and concepts on democracy and human
rights and on freedoms are relative and specific ones.
Therefore, they should be determined by the specific national
situation of different countries.

References

1. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/report.htm
2. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/d1-jiang_j15.htm
3. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/comment.htm
4. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/backgrnd.htm

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