It\'s always a great pleasure and good season to greet friends from around the world in September. The "Three Festivals" (The 9th China International Folk Art Festival, The 4th China Yangtze Three Gorges International Tourism Festival, The 3rd China Yichang Yangtze River Piano Music Festival) bring Yichang, "the Pearl of the Three Gorges", a strong atmosphere of frugality and benefits, and Yichang is marching with sonorous steps towards the modern magcity!
" Three Festivals" Jointly Held
On the evening of September 16, the 9th China International Folk Art Festival, the 4th China Yangtze Three Gorges International Tourism Festival and the 3rd China Yichang Yangtze River Piano Music Festival (the "Three Festivals") raised the curtain at the Yichang Stadium.
Nearly 400 folk artists from 14 countries (including China) and more than 20,000 Yichang citizens witnessed the Opening Ceremony of 9th China International Folk Art Festival, showing their own different customs which made that night of extreme exoticism.
To our suprise, the opening ceremony only lasted 10 minutes, tthere were no singing stars and dancing stars appeared but the art performances attracted a lot of attention.
According to Wang Yinghua, Deputy Mayor of Yichang, Yichang Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government determined to change the original plan based on "frugality, benefits and development”, so that the "Three Festivals" can be held together in the middle of September. Additionally, the art performances have been scaled down by cancelling such luxurious activities as fireworks, water curtain, music fountain and high-altitude concerts, decreasing the total cost of the opening ceremony by 2/3.
Where is the money saved to put in? According to Ran Jincheng, Deputy Director, Propaganda Department of Yichang Municipal Party Committee, the government decided to spend most of the money on public cultural infrastructure constructions and the rest on art performance exchange programs and cultural tours to the communities and upgrading of the venues of these activities.
For all the activities at different places during the Festivals, the participation of local people is prominent, and the folk artists and local citizens of Yichang have become the main characters, bringing such folk cultural masterpieces with our local characteristics as Bashan Dance, Drum Dance, Dragon and Lion Dances onto the stage and exchanging the folk art with the foreigners.
The opening ceremony and performance are synchronously broadcasted by Yichang Three Gorges TV Station, so people can not only watch the live show at home, but also enjoy the world-level "cultural feast" on the 6 LED screens at the 6 main squares in downtown.
Satisfaction of the Local People
Culture and arts are rooted in common people, strengthened and refreshed by the people.
On the afternoon of September 15th, students and teachers from China Three Gorges University (CTGU) gathered together on Qinyuan Square in CTGU to welcome the students from Utah Valley College in USA who would attend the 9th China International Folk Art Festival.
They gave their respective folk dance performances and then exchanged their dances and taught each other different dances, which won high praises from both teachers and students.
A student from Tibet was very delighted and excited. She said,“This is the first time that I have danced with foreign artists. It enriched my knowledge and expanded my horizon. I will never forget this day.” Taylor from the USA said,“People here are very friendly. I’ve learnt that the Three Gorges Water Control Project and Three Gorges Folk Custom Tourist Site are pretty good. We should have a good look at them.”
On the morning of September 16th, folk art troupes from Australian and Czech Republic visited Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Yichang Mass Art Center. Standing in front of billboards of Qu Yuan and Wang Zhaojun, they began to ask the expostor questions continuously. Australian members started to beat drums and gongs, while the Czechs asked the expositor to teach them how to blow Suona horn and trombone. They are all deeply impressed by the rich folk arts in Yichang.
In the lobby of the Mass Art Center, members of folk art troupe are attracted by folk songs of Xingshan County and flower-drum dancing of Zigui County. Yu Changkun, from Xingshan County, said,“This is a very good chance for me to learn from foreign folk artists.”
On the morning of September 16th, Pakistan Art Troupe came to the square of Jiefang Road Community. They communicated with the residents and gave a wonderful performance. The marvelous performance won much applauses.
Xu Rang, a 70-year-old man, was so occupied that sweat dripped from his face. He arranged the community dancers to teach the Pakistan members to dance. And then he was busy looking for an interpreter to translate the keys of “Sayerhe” (a kind of folk dancing of Tujia people). “We can enjoy the top–level folk arts performance in our community. We have never thought of this before. ” Xu Rang said.
On September 18th, artists from Senegal visited Jiandong Village in Zigui County. Li Sheng, Party Secretary of the village said, “People who works in the city and in the fields all stopped their work. They want to watch the performance from Senegal. This is the first time that foreign artists have come to our village. We don’t want to miss it.”
An 84-year-old villager, Han Yongling who sits in the middle of the first row, beat time to the drumbeat cheerfully. She said, “I’ve never seen foreigners in our village before. This is a great luck for me. It is marvelous!”
Good Fortune for People Living in Yichang
The cultural projects are the “code of happiness” of people living in Yichang.
On the afternoon of September 17th, , a large –scale concert was held at Yiling Square. An old man named Yang Qihong, who sat at the back row, could not see the performance in the stage. However, he sang softy with the music and to the beat, with sweat dripping from his face. He said proudly, “We need to meet refined and popular tastes with an open and learning attitude towards culture.”
On September 19th, it was the Mid-autumn Festival in China. Nearly 400 artists of the Ninth China International Folk Art Festival, had a get-together with local residents at Yiling Square. Taking pictures as she was, Gao Yang said, “Get-together on a fairground offers a chance for common people to appreciate the charm of culture. I am very proud of living in Yichang.”
Mr. Chen gave a bag of moon cakes to David, a member of American art groups on the celebration. He said, “We came to know each other just now on the celebration. It is Mid-autumn Festival today in China. I want to let him experience the folk customs in China and our friendliness.” David replied with excitement, “I will remember Yichang, a beautiful city with its happy people.”
The Feeling From a 100- year-old Man
On September 13th, a special guest came to Parsons Music Limited at high-tech zone in Yichang. He is Jia Xiaoxing, who is 100 years old and in an wheelchair now.
Born in 1914 and graduated from Xinyang Normal School, Jia used to be a music teacher. After retirement, he lived in Babaota Community in Yichang. He knows that there is a Parsons Music Limited in Yichang. And there is a piano brand called “Yangtze River”. He wished he could visit the Parsons Music Limited on his 100th birthday.
On the afternoon of September 13th, with the help of society, he realized his dream. After visiting the production lines, he came to the exhibition hall. He could not help playing the piano with deep feeling, saying delightfully, “How I wish I could live for another 100 years!”
A huge stone of over 40 tons is lying besides the road by a crane. The stone with the color of orange is taller than a man. It is witnessed by a reporter in Wangjiaping Village of Letianxi Town.
The owner of this stone, Chen Yufu, used to be a farmer. When doing business, at first, he just sold potted landscape stone. However, nowadays, he trades outdoor landscape stones.
With the help of Chen Yufu, villagers in Wangjiaping Village and Zhaojiping Village began to trade landscape stones. All these stones become famous and are exported to South Korea and Australia with annual production value of more than 20 million RMB.
Wang Yongping, Director of Yichang Bureau of Culture, said, “Culture industry is booming in Yichang. Wangjiaping Village and Zhaojiping Village is just a small part of culture industry. In the future, Yichang will be a city with rich and profound culture.”