Prince of Wales opens Chinese cultural centre

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall opened a new Chinese cultural center in the heart of London's Chinatown on Thursday, the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Known as the China Exchange, the center provides two large spaces for exhibitions, performances, lectures and special events.

It will also be used to host discussions on issues ranging from culture to business, the environment to heritage, education to enterprise, medicine to religion, economy to anthropology, and architecture to philosophy.

China Exchange came about because the Prince's Foundation for Building Community carried out an Enquiry by Design in 2008 in Chinatown, working with the local community to create a series of recommendations to help build on the area's strengths and improve this unique part of London.

An Enquiry by Design is a consultation that aims to get local residents involved in planning the future of their communities.

One of the recommendations, following this Enquiry by Design, was the creation of a Chinese cultural center, a vision which has since become reality in the form of the China Exchange.

The prince said that China Exchange will become a platform for the exchange of ideas between the East and the West.

"I am delighted that the center will not only provide a location for exhibitions, debate, performances and special events, but it will also act as a focal point for visitors to the area and a facility for the local community," the prince said.

Funding for China Exchange came from a combination of various organizations and individuals, and one leading figure who worked relentlessly to make it possible is Sir David Tang, a Hong Kong businessman best known as the founder of the Shanghai Tang fashion chain.

Tang said that he is thrilled that the prince could open China Exchange. He said he hopes the venue will be used for many insightful cultural lectures, talks and performances, so that the British public can understand that Chinatown is not just about Chinese food.

When the royals arrived in Chinatown, they were greeted by a Chinese lion dance performance and Chinese children singing songs in Chinese.

They then visited Dumplings' Legend, a Chinese restaurant that specializes in making dumplings and dim sum. At Dumplings' Legend, they saw how to make dumplings, and the duchess made a dumpling herself with the advice and help of Ching He Huang, a Chinese celebrity chef in London.

They were then shown around China Exchange, where they watched a demonstration of Chinese calligraphy and saw an exhibition showing the work of The Prince's Charities Foundation China.

The exhibition, known as the Beijing Hutong project, shows the work the charity has done to conserve Hutongs, or alleyways surrounding the Forbidden City.

These alleyways can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th Century but have been gradually destroyed over the years. The project carefully restored an historical courtyard house using traditional craftsmanship and green technology.

The royals' visit to Chinatown has thrilled members of the Chinese community, and outside China Exchange a large crowd gathered, keen to observe the royals.

Also, many people are excited about the prospectof being able to use the center for events. Linda Lee, CEO of EquexChina, an equestrian industry consultancy and events management company, said that she looks forward to the time her team will use the space to host events and exhibitions.

"I feel that the royals' visit significantly increases recognition of Chinese culture in mainstream British society, and culture exchange is a great way for two countries to build a closer relationship," Lee said.

Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the UK, said that he looks forward to witnessing a series of important cultural exchanges between the UK and China throughout this year.

"There will be unprecedented opportunities for China-UK relationships. I am confident that the Year of the Sheep will witness ever- strengthening China-UK cooperation," Liu said.