On the morning of May 17th at local German time, the opening ceremony of Germany “Berlin’s Asia-Pacific Week” Experience China event, co-organized by the State Council Information Office of the PRC and Embassy of People's Republic of China to Germany was held in Berlin. Artists and gourmets from Chengdu have exclusively performed the cultural and food exhibition in the opening ceremony, making it a veritable “Chengdu Show”.
’Experience China” event is a large cultural exchange activity held by Chinese government during “Berlin’s Asia-Pacific Week”. This is a feast of culture including many colorful and high level activities such as Kung Fu masters, “Colorful China” cultural performance, Aisai Waist Drum Tour, Chinese Film Week, Intangible Culture Exhibition, Chengdu Picture Exhibition, Chengdu Food Festival, Chengdu Art Performance, Art Giant Panda Device Exhibition and so on, providing opportunities to Germans to experience and learn modern China closely.
Multiple highlights in the opening ceremony
In the opening ceremony, a dance full of Sichuan opera features , Qiao Huadan, or Beautiful Young Ladies, carefully selected and rehearsed by Chengdu Cultural Art School, was firstly performed. Along with music of Sichuan opera style, beautiful Chengdu girls danced with crowned faces and spectacular dresses.
"Face changing”, a Sichuan opera stunt performed by Mr. Kang Yong, a famous youth performer from Chengdu Municipal Sichuan Opera Theater, pushed the opening ceremony into climax. During the performance of several minutes, guests applauded and praised continuously. Facing changing is an exotic flower of Chinese opera. It evolves on the base of Sichuan opera to modernize. Faces exchange flexibly and in accordance with the scenery. Face exchanging has fully demonstrated the beauty of traditional Oriental folk arts. The power of Chengdu regional culture is attractive and fresh.
Chinese Food Festival - Chengdu also initiated in the opening ceremony. What makes the guests impressive is the competition of Chinese and German chefs and their own specialties.
German chef cooked “smoked fish”, “Dutch juice with white asparagus potato”, “fried veal” and other specialties. Chengdu chefs bring about 12 classic Sichuan cuisines and flavor snacks with the representation of upgraded version of “flavored salmon fish” and “Kung pao shrimp balls”. The former one is indepth mixture of flavored fish seasoning and the western food salmon, a successful combination of Oriental and Western, tradition and modern. The latter upgrades “Kung pao chicken” loved by German chancellor.
Mrs. Wu is a German daughter-in-law who has lived many years in German with her husband. Her child is studying in a Chinese school in Germany. They knew the activity from the school and attended it. She has spent her youth in Sichuan and Chongqing and missed so much about Sichuan cuisine. Therefore, the opening ceremony of “Berlin’s Asia-Pacific Week” Experience China event and Chengdu Food Festival excited her. “This is the taste of my youth. I want my child to have a taste of it, the taste his mother is dreaming of.”
Ambassador Shi Mingde advertised for Sichuan cuisine
On the opening ceremony, Chengdu food attracted the most attention. Therefore, Mr. Shi Mingde, ambassador of China to Germany, advertised especially for Sichuan cuisine. He said humorously that he was often asked by his German friends about where to eat the best and most authentic Chinese food in Berlin. Usually to avoid advertising for a certain Chinese restaurants, he answered that the best Chinese food restaurant was Chinese embassy to Germany.
But on site, he said proudly, “Now I can tell everyone that the Chinese Buffet of Ocean Hotel is authentic Sichuan cuisine cooked specially for you by top chefs from Sichuan.” Meanwhile, he also recalled the relationship with Sichuan cuisine. Last July when German chancellor Merkel and he visited Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, chancellor Merkel deliberated arranging to purchase Sichuan cuisine seasoning and learned “Kung pao chicken” from the chef, a classic Sichuan cuisine, which had drew wide attention.
After the opening ceremony, Mr. Li Kai, a chef from Chengdu and a German chef cooked “bean salmon” together, which was acclaimed by Chinese and overseas guests.
Amazing Chengdu Food Exhibition
Chengdu Food Exhibition was also held at the same time at Ocean Hotel where the opening ceremony was held. On the site, Chengdu chefs designed and made courses in accordance with the cultural features of Southern Silk Road. Reporters saw that Mr. Shi Hongwei, an intangible culture inheritor from Chengdu made the flour into stones and shaped the ancient road of Southern Silk Road in the plate, and formulate a natural picture of ancient Silk Road with other feature snacks.
Mr. Li Kai, who was in charge of the food exhibition, told the reporter that traditional classic Sichuan courses, modern new Sichuan courses and feature snacks were highlighted on the exhibition. Almost every course was important. He mentioned that Ma Po Tufu, as a classic course of Sichuan cuisine, was demonstrated the features through Hanyuan wild pepper and put in a lacquer tableware circulated and trade in Southern Silk Road. Caizhang Tea Duck, a traditional Chinese cuisine, was packed and shaped by modern method. The duck was smoked into a special flavor with tea leaves, displaying the tea culture of Tea-Horse Road.
Meanwhile, masters of Sichuan cuisine also deduced naturally to some ancient ingredients. Seashell was once the currency of Southern Silk Road. Now it was made as pickled pepper seashell after seashell became a delicious food on our table. Silkworm Spinning was an image snack to imitate the spinning process of silkworms in order to demonstrate the source of silk, a trade article along Southern Silk Road. “Dandan Noodles” was a Chengdu snack. Chefs on the site cooked embroidery Dandan noodle, a colourful noodle made of vegetable juice to signify the colorful silk thread of Shu embroidery.
It was learned that “Berlin’s Asia-Pacific Week” Experience China event would last till May 29th. “Experience China and Experience Chengdu” - “Berlin’s Asia-Pacific Week” Chengdu Intangible Folk, Culture and Food Exhibition would be opened at Deyue Park from May 21st to 23rd. By then, the exhibition area would be decorated by large scale modern paper cutting device, displaying the features and characteristics of Chengdu from picture exhibition, intractable cultural exhibition, art performance, and food experience and so on. Meanwhile, 43 art giant pandas from Chengdu would also be unveiled.
Evaluations
High-level officials from China and Germany received exclusive interview of media from Chengdu: Chengdu’s vision was winning global attention
Mr. Shi Mingde, ambassador of China to Germany
Last July, after Germany chancellor Merkel visited Chengdu, Chengdu’s reputation was increasing. Many people knew Chengdu. But to a large extant, they just knew the name of Chengdu. The visit of Chengdu arts and food to Berlin this time made it possible for people to experience Chengdu, including not only food but also every other aspect. Today's activity was very successful. Mr. Ederer, secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs of Germany also came here. He just finished an operation and attended the event with a crutch. The explosive excitement of Germans indicated that Chengdu could develop future in Germany not only in economy, culture and food.
Mr. Zhang Yanbin: director of Extension Bureau of the State Council Information Office of the PRC
The opening ceremony of Experience China was quite remarkable. Chengdu could expand her market and bring Chengdu’s folk culture to Berlin. This was quite impressive. Just now, we saw that people of all aspects were quite interested in the whole process. Mr. Ederer, secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs of Germany also received interview. He thought highly of our activity. Our task was to promote Chinese excellent cultures, including brilliant culture of Chengdu. The projects of this event included culture, food, giant panda statues and so on. Chengdu had done a lot of preparations with delicate stage properties and courteous service, which had been praised by the guests. What was most important was that we saw the broad vision of an international city through the action of Chengdu. A seemingly small action had successfully attracted the attention of the world.
Mr. Liu Xinfeng: deputy inspector of Literature and Art Bureau of Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China
Chengdu had displayed her features through the platform of “Experience China”. Chengdu had fully displayed her history and promising future. This time, the leaders of Chengdu valued this opportunity and working staff worked hard. They had made sound preparations with excellent results. Many people had deep impression on the food, culture, humanity achievements, natural scenery and giant pandas, offering a window for foreigners to have a better understanding of China. “Experience China” aimed to promote Chinese culture with suitable languages through this platform, which had yielded remarkable achievements. Chengdu could grasp this opportunity, indicating that Chengdu had open vision and open thoughts. Chengdu could seize the opportunities to fully display the city card. Chengdu had done a successful job.
Mr. Ederer: secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs of Germany
I had enjoyed a lot of programs in the opening ceremony, which were quite popular among Germans. Now, Germans were more and more interested in learning Chinese culture. I thought that there were multiple level relationships between China and Germany while the most essential was mutual understanding. Cultural exchanges were the best method of enhancing mutual understanding. Cultural transmissions also played a good role for understanding of next generation.
Relevant links: Experience China event
"Experience China” event is a national image promotion activity organized by the State Council Information Office of the PRC with the purpose of increasing understanding and friendship of multiple levels and multiple aspects through cultural actualities. Since 1999, the State Council Information Office of the PRC has held “Experience China” event in 5 continents over 30 countries including France, America, Germany, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Switzerland, and so on, which has been warmly welcomed and praised by foreign governments, international organizations, media and the public.
The main theme activities of “Experience China” include theatrical performances, keynote speeches, media forum, film and television week, square activities, signing film feed agreements, denoting books, and building “China Pavilion” jointly.
"Experience China” event displays modern Chinese social activities, economic development and cultural and human characters from different aspects and profile, aiming to make more people to experience a developing China, a lively China and a prosperous China. The theme activities of “Experience China” event has played a vital role for foreign public to experience China and have a better understanding of China directly in their countries.