COLLECTION ＆ AUCTION

＂Sketch Painting of Rare Birds＂ Sold for 55.10 Million RMB Yuan
At the Poly Spring Auction, ＂Sketch Painting of Rare Birds＂ created by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty was sold for 55.10 million RMB yuan, it is known that Emperor Huizong＇s extant creations total less than 20 and this painting work is the most complete one among all the extant works, There are 21 seal imprints by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and 7 seal imprints by previous collectors.     

Art Information

COLLECTION ＆ AUCTION CHEN DANQING＇S ＂SHEPHERDS＂ HITS RECORD HIGH AUCTION PRICE Chinese oil painter Chert Danqing＇s ＂Chinese Studies Institute＂ was sold at 12 million RMB at Poly Autumn Fair 2007. But the record was only kept for less than 24 hours. On the next evening, his masterpiece ＂Shepherds＂, one of the oil paintings from his ＂Tibet Suite＂, was purchased with the price of 32 million R.MB at another auction fair, setting a world record for his personal works. Chen＇s ＂Tibet Suite＂, a seven-piece oil series created around 1980, made a stir in the art circle in the 1980s and was considered bringing fresh air to China＇s art world suffocated by mediocre realism.     

China in a Bumpy Way to Restitute Lost Cultural Property

At a special sale on the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge held in Paris on February 25, in spite of repeated negotiations from the Chinese Government and strong protests from the Chinese people, Christie＇s, a world-famous auction giant, auctioned the rat head and rabbit head which were looted from China＇s royal garden＂Yuanmingyuan＂ in 1860 by the British and French Allied Forces. The two bronze heads were eventually sold for 14 million euro each. This shameful sale has again triggered out reflections on the restitution of cultural property looted or stolen from China.     

Investment Fever in Cultural Industries

China Cultural Development Report 2014 released statistics that the added value created by cultural businesses in China in 2012 reached up to 1.8 trillion RMB yuan, making up 3.48% of the country＇s total GDP. However; capital＇s impact on culture is a double-edge sword. On one hand, industrialization and merger of cultural industries would be impossible without capital; on the other hand, the profit-pursuing nature of capital would lead bogus boom.     

COLLECTION ＆ AUCTION

Ming Dynasty Colored Illustration ＂An Outline Treatise of Medical Herbs＂ Debuts at Auction Fair;＂The Bottle with Patterns of Frogs and Lotus＂ Appears in Beijing＂;Ba Da Shan Ren＇s Painting Album Sold for 30 Million RMB Yuan.     

Wu Guanzhong： An Artist with Unsinkable Ideal

At 2pm on May 8th 2006, buyers from all over the world were gathering at Hong Kong Convention .and Exhibition Center for the auction session inthe ＂20th Century Chinese Art Exhibition＂. The first item was No. 170 - ＂East Lake in Shaoxin＂ by Wu Guanzhong. This small oil painting, only 45.5cm long and 61cm high, was appraised at 2 million Hong Kong dollars and was finally sold at 4.04 million. Later in the auction, the painting ＂Peach Blossom＂ also painted by Wu Guanzhong in 1963 was sold at 4.488 million and his ＂Concord Square＂ painted in 1989 was appraised at 2 to 2.5 million and was sold at 4.824 million. At that auction, 9 masterpieces painted by Wu Guanzhong before the 1980s were auctioned and all sold at high prices.     

A Glimpse of the Shanghai World Expo

The Shanghai World Expo has concluded with great success, attracting more than 70 million viewers, a pledge committed by the Expo＇s organizing committee when bidding for the hosting right. The innovatively-designed pavilions of every participant country and organization fascinated both Chinese and foreign viewers with their hi-tech elements and rich traditions and cultures.     

A Mysterious Blue Box：＂Water Cube＂ for Beijing Olympics

The National Aquatics Center, or more popularly known as ＂Water Cube＂, stands on the opposite of ＂Bird＇s Nest＂ in the Olympic Green. This miraculous building features a mysterious transparent blue appearance and an innovative structure, perfectly mixing architectural concepts and cutting-edge technologies. Based on the traditions of Chinese culture and architectural design, Water Cube stands out in a simplistic and streamlined form, creating a harmonious co-existence with Bird＇s Nest while distinguishing itself from the grandeur of the latter. The building＇s design is inspired by the traditional concept of Chinese philosophy, ＂integral unity and harmony between the round heaven and the square earth＂, which are respectively represented by Bird＇s Nest and Water Cube. While meeting functional needs for international competitions, this square blue box is considered an outstanding example integrating traditional culture with modern functional facilities.     

Wuyutai： a Leading Tea Brand of China

Wuyutai is a time-honored tea brand that enjoys great popularity in Beijing. Its history can date back to 1887 when the brand＇s founder opened a small tea shop in the capital city of the Qing Empire.Today, this small tea shop has grown to be a flagship company in China＇s tea industry, with 220 chain stores and annual sales volume of more than RMB500 million.     

China Opens the World＇s Highest Railway

After fiver years of construction, the world＇s highest and longest plateau railroad, Qinghai-Tibet Raihvav, officially came into operation on July 1, 2006. The 1956-kilometer-long railway, starting from Xining in Qinghai Province and ending in Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region, runs through Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With an area of 2.3 million square kilometers, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau accounts for a quarter of the country＇s total territory and most parts of it stand above an elevation of 2,300 meters. The plateau is known as the ＂third pole of the globe＂ and Qinghai- Tibet Railway is thus called ＂Heavenly Road＂.     

A Feast of Dance and Song The 3rd China Xinjiang International Dance Festival

China Xinjiang International Dance Festival （hereinfafter referred to as ＂Xinjiang International Dance Festival＂） is one of China＇s numerous cultural-exchange festivals. It is a state-level international art festival approved by the State Council of the People＇s Republic of China and co-hosted by China＇s Ministry of Culture, the State Council Information Office and the People＇s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.     

China＇s National Beauty -The Treasure of Hua Fu： The 2009 NE·TIGER Hua Fu Collection Fashion Show

On the evening of Nov. 5th, 2008, in the Golden Hall of Beijing Hotel, NE.TIGER raised the curtain on CHINA FASHION WEEK for the seventh successive year. As the architect of Chinese-inspired Fashion, NE.TIGER continued on last year＇s theme of ＂The national beauty in China＇s national dress＂. The 2009 collection took as its theme ＂the national beauty captured in Hua Fu＂, presenting an embodiment of the quest for renaissance and innovation of Chinese luxury expressed by the words of NE-TIGER founder Mr. Zhang Zhifeng： ＂infused by a single source, integrating a world of styles……     

Recent and Forthcoming Events

Story of Xinhua and other fourteen productions each supported with 1 million yuan
Qinqiang opera The Story of Xinhua and other fourteen productions were each supported with 1 million yuan （$167,000） by the National Classic Stage Works Project.     

＂Most Beautiful Places in China＂ Unveiled

The results of ＂Most Beautlful Places in China＂ organized by Chinese National Geogrophy Magazine and other 34 local media institutions were unveiled recently. The voting, lasting for eight months, was conducted by experts, media organizations as well as netizens and mobile subscribers. The mast authoritative results, done by the expert panel consisting of a dozen of academicians and some one hundred specialists, were released In the magazine＇s October issue.     

Xi＇an Hosts Folk Video Festival

From October 28 to November 1, the 4th China Xi＇an International Folkvideo Festival was held in Xi＇an.This event is co-hosted by the Center of International CulturalExchange and China DV Commission and organized by Shaanxi Cultural Industry Investment Holdings Group （SCG）. With attentive review and discussion by the 11 jury members, the twelve awards were granted to a number of video and animation works, among which ＂Return Home Gloriously＂, ＂Bass＇s Grasslands＂ and ＂Watcher＂ won the Best Feature, the Best Micro~lm and the Best Animation.     

The Glorious Era Showcased on Canvas

The huge portrait of Deng Xiaoping, respected as the ＂chief architect of China＇s reform and opening up＂, is a landmark standina in the downtown of Shenzhen, the first city embarking on the road to reform and opening up in the late 1970s. In the end of last year, a miniature replica of this famous portrait was installed, accompanied by the slogan ＂adhering to the Party＇s fundamental guideline for at least 100 years＂, in the courtyard of the National Art Museum of China.     

Century-old Tea Brand Projects New Image

Wuyutai, a century-old tea brand name, started its business with the sale of jasmine tea and over years, its business scope has been widely developed to include a variety of tea types. In particular, in the recent years, it has evolved into a group corporation through intensified tea processing, chain-store operation and opening flagship stores with cultural elements, witnessing an annual sales volume of up to 600 million RMB yuan （approx. 90 million USD）.     

Chinese New Year,a World’s Festival简

The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people.
With the increase of Ch＇ina＇s overall strength, more and more people from different countries and with different skin colors are attracted by the joyful atmosphere and unique traditions of the Spring Festival. While experiencing and enjoying the charm of Chinese culture, they can get the cultural conception of the Spring Festival, which is ＂Happy, Harmony and Sharing＂.     

Zheng Jie, Yan Zi Make History for China

Melbourne Park, January 25, China＇s Yan Zi and Zheng Jie have won the country＇s first- ever Grand Slam title, grinding down top seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur to win the Australian Open women＇s doubles title, It was a sterling come-from-behind victory by the 12th seeds and the perfect Chinese New Year present for a country considered by many to be the future of tennis.     

New Daqlng Library Offers Full Wi- Fi Coverage and 24-hour Self-service

The newly-built Daqing Municipal Library, opened on April 23, the World Book and Copyright Day, boasts a collection of 2 million copies and many valuable classics. Its 24- hour self-service library has ushered in a brand new era of＂pleasant reading＇for local residents in Daqing.