Artists from China's eastern city of Hangzhou presented live demonstrations of Chinese intangible cultural heritage at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston on Saturday, which marveled local American visitors.
As part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations and Asia Society's programs, the traditional Chinese craft demonstrations included Hangzhou embroidery, fan-decorating, paper umbrella-decorating, bamboo paper making, and wood-carving.
Houston art teacher Kamarin Beard came to visit the demonstrations with her friend. Having accepted a job offer in Shanghai, China, she feels like she needs to know more about the ancient country through art.
"We wanted to learn more about the Chinese New Year and Chinese culture to teach our students here. For me personally I feel like learning more about different cultures helps to increase sensitivity and understanding," she told Xinhua.
Beard believes art is a good way to teach her children about different cultures and build understanding between countries.
"We feel like it's important to teach our children the culture of others. I think our children don't know enough about what Chinese people are really like and who they really are. And art is a great way to teach them," she added.
Demonstrator Zhang Yuhan has been learning Hangzhou embroidery for nine years. Being the only student of her master teacher, she cherishes the opportunity of presenting the unique historical Chinese technique in the United States.
"This embroidery is little known even in Hangzhou. So it's very important to advertise it, showing it to more people around the world and protecting it," she said,
Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with major centers and public buildings in New York, Hong Kong, and Houston, and offices in other nine cities worldwide. It is an educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.
