An exhibition and exchange on Chinese paintings and tea ceremony opened at Istanbul Aydin University on Wednesday, offering a chance for artists from Turkey and China to communicate with and learn from each other.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chen Su, the acting Chinese consul general, referred to traditional paintings and tea as among the quintessences of Chinese culture that display Chinese features.
In Chen's view, the event hosted by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Turkey not only enables Turkish artists to have an insight into Chinese tea culture and elegant paintings, but also offers an opportunity for artists from the two sides to learn from and communicate with each other, thus demonstrating fully the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.
Ali Leigong, a Chinese painter who introduced Islamic miniature to his country through efforts to combine the Chinese style of Gong-bi and Persian miniature, spoke of the development, practice and unique features of Chinese paintings, while his son, Chuanyi Lei, drew a lotus with fish on the stage, and a Chinese tea specialist displayed black tea ceremony with a specially-made clay teapot.
On display are dozens of Chinese paintings in traditional style, including those on portraits, landscape, flowers and birds and cats, and miniatures by Ali Leigong on the travel to the outside world by Zhang Qian, a Chinese official and diplomat during China's Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD), and on the maritime voyages by Zheng He to more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa from 1405 to 1433 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Round-table discussions on Chinese and Turkish arts and a seminar on Chinese tea ceremony are slated for Thursday and Friday respectively.
Istanbul Aydin University is the first to set up a China study center in Turkey in 2016.
