EUROPE/ITALY - Italy opens Chinese Cultural Year

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – An opening concert performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra of China, tonight, October 7, at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, will mark the beginning of the Chinese Cultural Year, to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and China (November 6, 2010). The series of events, aimed at promoting knowledge of the Chinese culture in Italy, provides hundreds of cultural, economic-commercial, educational, scientific and technical, environmental, and touristic activities to be held in Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Florence, and other Italian cities twinned with China.
Among the most significant events is the exhibition entitled “The Two Empires: The Eagle and The Dragon,” with the exhibition of 450 Italian and Chinese masterpieces, some of which have never left the People's Republic; the Youth Festival which will feature shows, plays, dances, and traditional music presented by 300 Chinese and Italian youth who will have the opportunity to meet for three days; the Italy-China Innovation Forum with the participation of 250 scholars from both nations; the Chinese New Year Festival in February 2011, with parades in traditional costumes, folk dances, floats, acrobatics, etc.; the presentation of a show from the Society of Chinese Disabled Artists; a Forum of University Rectors, and more. The logo of the Chinese Cultural Year depicts the erhu, a two-stringed musical instrument that originated in the Tang Dynasty, 1,400 years ago, and a Venetian gondola. The colors used are Chinese red and the green of the Italian flag on a blue background representing the Italian Peninsula. It was designed by Prof. Liu Bo of the Central Academy of Chinese Fine Arts. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 07/10/2010)