At the invitation of the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan and the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, a Chinese cultural delegation led by Zhou Pianping, Deputy Secretary General of the China Friendship Association for International Art Exchange, paid a working visit to Afghanistan on March 26 and 28. Ambassador Liu Jinsong and Political Counselor of Wang Daxue accompanied the delegation to relevant activities.
On March 27, the delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Liu, met with Acting Minister Safi and Deputy Minister Bawary of the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan. Acting Minister Safi warmly welcomed the delegation to Afghanistan and recalled with pleasure her unforgettable experience at the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo last September. She said that culture is extremely important for the peace and stability of Afghanistan at present. It can help the Afghan people know who they are and where they have come from and strengthen their national identity. China has invited Afghanistan to attend the cultural expo and hold the exhibition of Afghan National Treasures. We have taken concrete actions to support Afghanistan's peaceful reconstruction and enhanced Afghanistan's cultural confidence and international visibility. Afghanistan is the "Heart of Asia" and has the responsibility to contribute to the inheritance and preservation of regional culture. Afghanistan is ready to carry out more cultural exchanges and cooperation with China under the framework of the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, strengthen the ties between Afghanistan and the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, enhance cultural connection and people-to-people bond between the two countries, and deepen the friendship between China and Afghanistan. Acting Minister Safi also warmly invited China to participate in the "Culture Week" activities during the centenary of Afghanistan's independence celebrations.
Delegation Meets with Acting Minister Safi with Ambassador Liu
Deputy Secretary-general Zhou Jianping said that since 2017, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has promoted the touring exhibition of Afghan National Treasures in China, which has been warmly welcomed by the Chinese audiences and received more than 1.2 million visitors. "Treasure Exhibition" of Afghanistan has become a bridge of cooperation between the two countries and departments. Over the past two thousand years, Afghanistan has played an irreplaceable role on the Silk Road and contributed more to the "One Belt and One Road" initiative. Chairman Xi Jinping has just concluded his visit to Italy. Afghanistan is just the intersection of the ancient Silk Road from Chang 'an of China to Rome of Italy. China-Afghanistan joint development of "One Belt and One Road" has a historical basis and an opportunity of our time. China will soon hold the "Conference on Dialogue among Asian Civilizations" in Beijing. We hope that Afghanistan will select and enrich the exhibition so that the people of Asian countries will have a better understanding of Afghan culture.
Group Photo of the Delegation with Ambassador Liu and Acting Minister Safi, etc.
Ambassador Liu said that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the independence of Afghanistan and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China supports the "Culture Week" in Afghanistan and will invite the Chinese art troupe to participate.
Paintings Presented by the Delegation to Acting Minister Safi
Later, the delegation, accompanied by the Political Counselor Wang Daxue, paid a visit to the National Museum of Afghanistan and the Shamshad Military Museum. Rahimi, director of the National Museum of Afghanistan, said the touring exhibition of Afghan Treasures in China has offered many colleagues of the National Museum a chance to visit China to learn about local culture and history. He thanked the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Beijing Jianzhong Cultural Communication Co.,Ltd. for their warm reception. The National Museum of Afghanistan has a rich collection of fine works, but the security situation in Afghanistan is serious for foreigners. Zhou jianping said that the exhibition of Afghan treasures in China has indeed opened a window for the Chinese people to understand the history and culture of Afghanistan.
The Delegation, accompanied by Political Counsellor Wang Daxue pays a visit to the Director of the National Museum, Rahimi
At the Shamshad media group, general manager Abdul Karim Fazel invited the delegation to visit the military museum, where he introduced the great sacrifices Afghanistan has made for independence, freedom and peace in modern times.
Fazel introduces a computer classroom converted from an old helicopter
On March 28, the delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Liu, went to the Ghulam Mohammad Maimanagi Art School affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Culture for a discussion. Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Bawary, President of the Art School Shariq, Professor Osmani of the Department of Archaeology of Kabul University, teachers and students of the school and other old and new friends were present.
Delegation and Ambassador Liu at Art School
The Deputy Minister Bawary together with Zhou Jianping, Deputy Secretary-general opened Afghan Treasures Exhibition in Shenzhen, he made a splendid prologue in Afghanistan intellectuals characteristic enthusiasm and sincere: "China and Afghanistan have a long history of civilization. Afghanistan is ready to work with China to build the "One Belt and One Road" and strengthen the bond between our peoples."
The school offers free courses in watercolor, oil painting, drawing, calligraphy, computer design and handwork for the whole society, said principal Shariq. The school also specially opened sewing classes for women and enrolled a group of deaf students who love painting.
Delegation Presents Gifts to Students
From paper cutting and freehand sketching to oil painting and calligraphy, delegations and diplomats from the embassy entered classrooms to give small gifts to children and appreiciate the works of students and teachers.
Handicrafts visited by the delegation and Ambassador Liu
In the handicraft classroom, Deputy Secretary-general Zhou took up a handicraft with great interest and looked at it carefully.
Students in the sewing class wearing ethnic costumes
In the sewing room, everyone's eyes were attracted by the gorgeous Afghan national costumes. "I will take it home and hang it on the wall for my friends to enjoy," said Mr. Jin xingshi, a member of the delegation.
Delegation, Ambassador Liu visit oil painting classroom
In the oil painting classroom, President Shariq introduced that most of the students here are deaf and dumb children. They can neither hearing nor speaking, but they express the fear and aversion of the Afghan people to war and the desire and dream for peace and a happy life in the eyes of the children with their brushes and colors.
The Burning and Destruction of the Flames of War
Suffering and Shouting
Street Market in War
Calls for Peace
During his visit to Afghanistan, Chinese artist Jin Xingshi, a member of the delegation, held a lecture entitled "The Consciousness Expression of Modern Chinese Painting" in the Embassy and painted on the spot, which added some relaxed artistic atmosphere to the busy and tense embassy in the war zone. Ambassador Liu Jinsong and some staff members of the embassy, representatives of Chinese-funded Institutions in Afghanistan and Chinese Businessmen's Association attended the meeting.
Jin Xingshi iving an art lecture in the embassy
Jin Xingshi paints the scene for the embassy
The exhibition Treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan was organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and co-organized by the China Friendship Association for International Art Exchange and KOUZAN Fine-arts Company. High-level officials of the two countries also spoke highly of the exhibition, agreeing that the exhibition has become an important project of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries in recent years and has made contributions to the "One Belt and One Road" people-to-people bond. Through communications between China and Afghanistan, the two sides have drawn up an agreement to continue their cooperation in touring exhibitions in Changsha, Nanjing and Hong Kong in 2019. At the initiative of Chairman Xi Jinping, the first conference on Dialogue among Asian Civilizations will be held in Beijing in May 2019. The Afghan Treasure Exhibition has been included in the conference plan and will be displayed in the art museum of Tsinghua University Art Museum for 70 days.
Chen jianzhong, President of KOUZAN Fine-arts Company, Jin Xingshi, Chinese Contemporary Artist, Liu Zhenhua, Exhibition Manager of Beijing Jianzhong Cultural Communication Co., LTD. (Beijing branch of KOUZAN Fine-arts Company) and Jiang Ruixia, Director of International Department attended the above activities.
