New Glory for Old Civilizations through Mutual Learning

Text by Wang Yuncong

Diversity inspires civilizations to exchange,exchange fosters mutual learning,and mutual learning fuels development.

Embracing its role as a primary window for displaying Chinese culture to the outside world,Beijing not only preserves the precious cultural heritage of the nation,but also spotlights innovation and development of Chinese culture in modern society.The increasing penetration of globalization has expanded Beijing’s mission as a cultural window of the country,making its efforts to inherit and develop Chinese culture even more crucial.

Beijing also continues to increase dialogue with the outside world and actively attracts various high-end cultural resources from China and beyond.The ancient capital with a long history is becoming an increasingly important platform for international cultural exchange and a hub for dialogue among civilizations.

Inheriting the Classics and Communicating with the World

Art is an important channel for exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.Beijing,a city fusing traditional and modern cultures,provides global artists a platform to display their works and exchange with each other.

In October 1998,the first Beijing International Music Festival kicked off at the Great Hall of the People.Renowned Spanish conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos led the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 in E flat major,which reverberated through the hall.When the last note fell,the applause persisted for some time.

Over the last 25 years,the rapidly growing Beijing International Music Festival has fostered a brand-new international vision,injected endless vitality into the classical Chinese music sector,and continued to deliver Chinese sounds to the world stage.The Beijing International Film Festival,the Beijing Culture Forum,and other international cultural platforms are also becoming important windows to showcase the essence of Chinese culture and promote exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.

A Stage for International Sports Galas

Since it hosted the 26th World Table Tennis Championships in 1961,Beijing has been committed to becoming an international sports city.The international event not only marked the rise of sports in China,but also built a platform for Beijing to communicate with the other parts of the world.

In recent decades,Beijing has hosted many international sports events of global influence.From football,basketball and swimming to track and field,myriad sporting competitions have taken place in the city.Among them,well-known events such as the China Open tennis tournament,Beijing Marathon,and World Snooker Championship have become shining pearls on the international sporting stage.

In 2023,the Bolshoi Ballet staged two performances,The Bolshoi Ballet Gala and Don Quixote,featuring an all-star lineup,for Chinese audiences at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.(Photo from IC)

The FINA Champions Swim Series 2020 was held at the Yingdong Swimming Pool of the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing.More than 60 top international players from about 20 countries,including China,participated in the competition.(Photo courtesy of 2022 Beijing Media Center)

In 2018,an international art exhibition was held in the National Art Museum of China,displaying 224 artworks from 61 countries,including those of international art masters,such as Picasso,Käthe Kollwitz and Katsushika Hokusai.(Photo from IC)

From the 2008 Summer Games to the 2022 Winter Games,from the theme song“Beijing Welcomes You” to the tune “Together for a Shared Future”,the two spectacular Olympic events made Beijing a dual-Olympic city,which left a dazzling legacy for the city on the world stage.

The most important thing is to cross the bridges to participate in exchange,said Pierre de Coubertin,the “father of the modern Olympics.” In Beijing’s post-Olympic era,frequent exchange between the city and the world because of the Olympic Games continues in various fields such as sports,culture,and business.Through exchange and mutual learning,Beijing and the world are simultaneously moving closer and closer.

A Window to Learn about China

As a Chinese saying goes,“distance cannot separate true friends who feel close,even when they are thousands of miles apart.” Thanks to cultural globalization as well as the protection,inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese culture,celebrations of traditional Chinese festivals are becoming increasingly popular around the world.

Beijing has organized Chinese New Year activities in Athens,capital of Greece,Tallinn,capital of Estonia,and Helsinki,capital of Finland,for seven years,14 years,and 17 years in a row,respectively.

At the Beijing Cultural Temple Fair,an annual event held around Chinese New Year in Helsinki,many intangible cultural heritage items including paper cutting,kites,and diabolo attract interest from local visitors.Various Chinese delicacies such as spring rolls,chicken kebobs,bingtang hulu(sugarcoated fruit on a stick),and steamed buns are highlights of the temple fair,attracting long queues.In addition to Chinese New Year activities,other special events such as Beijing Day and Beijing Week serve as bridges of friendship between Beijing and its sister cities and foster cultural exchange and people-to-people ties.

The “2023 Beijing Great Wall Concert” is held at the Badaling Great Wall cultural plaza,June 3,2023.A wonderful performance was presented together by famous Chinese baritone singer Liao Changyong,world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev and the Russian Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra.(Photo by Yi Haifei/China News Service)

The beauty of civilizations glows because of exchange,and the foundation of civilizations becomes consolidated through mutual learning.Beijing embraces global diversity with open arms and strives to add new color to the garden of world civilizations.In days to come,Beijing will continue to open to the outside world,welcome every guest with a warm smile,seek common ground while shelving differences,and march to prosperity in an inclusive atmosphere.

Since its inception in 1990,the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition has been held biennially,playing a positive role in promoting cooperation between Chinese and foreign automobile circles and accelerating the development of China’s automobile industry.(Photo courtesy of 2022 Beijing Media Center)

In 2020,the launch ceremony of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival was held at Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center in Huairou District,Beijing.As one of the most important international film exchange events in China,it attracted many high-level international films,institutions and filmmakers,forged a highend and high-quality platform for exhibition,exchange and trade,and built a unique bridge for cultural exchange between China and foreign countries.(Photo courtesy of 2022 Beijing Media Center)