At 9:30 on September 4, 2019, hosted by Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau, Foreign Affairs Office of Wenzhou Municipal People's government, Wenzhou Association for Foreign Cultural Exchange, Yandang Mountain Scenic Tourism Management Committee, Publicity Department of Yongjia County Committee of the Communist Party of China, Nanxijiang tourism economic development center of Wenzhou, Tourism and Sports development center of Lucheng district, and Tourism development center of Dongtou district. The opening ceremony of “WHEN LONDON MEETS WENZHOU – THE SKETCHING AND EXHIBITION OF CHINESE AND BRITISH ARTISTS " jointly organized by British Chinese economic and cultural development center the association and Yongjia Nanxi Academy in Nanxi Academy.

Nan xi performance

    Xiang Xiaowei, the Minister counselor of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Sun Weiguo, deputy mayor of Wenzhou Municipal People's government; Lv Zhaohui, the deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee; Zhu Yunhua, the director of Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau; Li Fangxi, the deputy director of Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau; Zhou Huaizhong, the deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Wenzhou Municipal People's government; Xu Xin, the member of the Standing Committee of Yongjia County Committee and the deputy of the county people's Government; Dai Chunguang, the director of Nanxijiang Scenic Tourism Management Committee, Wenzhou City; Jin Su, the director of the Exchange and Cooperation Department of Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau; Ma Bochong, the director of the office of Yongjia County People's government; Zhang Ruyuan, librarian of Zhejiang literature and History Research Institute and honorary Dean of Nanxi Academy, as well as more than 300 artists, theorists, planners of Sino British cultural exchange Guests attended the opening ceremony of the event. Li Fangxi, who is the deputy director of Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau, hosted the opening ceremony. Sun Weiguo, deputy mayor of Wenzhou Municipal People's government, Xiang Xiaowei, the Minister counselor of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Zhu Yunhua, director of Wenzhou Municipal Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau, Xu Xin, the member of the Standing Committee of Yongjia County Committee and Deputy head of the county people's government, and Robert Ken, representative of British artists, delivered speeches respectively. Zhou Jianpeng, the event planner, introduced the exhibition and Lv Chaohui, the Vice Minister of Publicity Department of Wenzhou municipal Party committee announced the opening of the event.

The opening present: Zhang Ruyuan the honorary Dean of Nanxi Academy

Opening ceremony speech by Sun Weiguo, the deputy mayor of Wenzhou Municipal People's government

    In recent years, Wenzhou have contacted with the UK more frequently. In 2016, Wenzhou British culture week and Francis Bacon art exhibition were held. In 2018, we set up Wenzhou Cambridge University Talent contact station, the first overseas talent contact station of the world's top universities, in Cambridge University; the Chinese Center of Cambridge Science and Innovation Park in the UK also made friends with Wenzhou last year and we signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Today, we hold a sketch and exhibition of Chinese and British artists in Wenzhou, which is the sublimation of our friendship and the continuation of our cooperation. China and the UK are important representatives of eastern and Western civilizations, and cultural and artistic exchanges are the most dynamic and rich part of cultural exchanges. It is hoped that the cultural and art circles of both sides will take the successful holding of this event as an opportunity to promote the cultural and art exchanges and creative industry cooperation between China and the UK to a broader and deeper the development, and better contribute to the golden age of the development of China UK relations. 

Speech at the opening ceremony by Xiang Xiaowei, the Minister counselor of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

    Xiang Xiaowei, the Minister counselor of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said in his speech: "I want to describe this activity in three perfect ways: first, the right time. In less than a month, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of new China. In the past 70 years, the people of our country have made great achievements in the construction of socialism with characteristics. First of all, I would like to give the present to the 70th anniversary of the founding of new China. Secondly, this event is the second held in Wenzhou. We hope that international cultural activities will continue in Wenzhou for a long time; secondly, the right place. Wenzhou has been a test field and a pacesetter in economic construction since the reform and opening up. Here we see the fresh social practice and innovation, which is the fertile land of our art development; Wenzhou has a long history, a gathering of talents, a long history, culture and natural landscape, which provides a rich source of inspiration for art creation. Third, we chose the right theme. When the world is in an era of great change, all kinds of ideas are emerging. When they put forward unilateralism, cultural conflicts…and other opinions. We need to respond to them with a more correct cultural perspective. We chose “When Wenzhou meets London” as the theme; we gestated a new direction of civilization development. By this chance, we transcend estrangement through cultural exchanges, prejudice through cultural mutual learning, we transcend confrontation through cultural cooperation, and we transcend hostility through cultural coexistence. "

Speech by Zhu Yunhua, the director of Wenzhou Municipal Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau

    Zhu Yunhua, the director of Wenzhou Municipal Culture Broadcasting Television and Tourism Bureau said: "Wenzhou is located in the south of Zhejiang, with a long history and outstanding people. It is known as" small Zoulu in the Southeast ", which is a famous historical and cultural city in China, an excellent tourist city in China, the birthplace of Chinese landscape poetry, the hometown of Chinese Nanxi opera, and also the cradle of Chinese mathematicians at the same time. Wenzhou is rich in tourism resources, with great mountains crisscrossing and beautiful scenery. The natural landscape and human landscape complement each other. It is known as "the best landscape in the world in Southeast China". Wenzhou is rich in cultural heritage and tourism resources, and is the primary choice for many artists draw. In May, Wenzhou started a new chapter in building Chinese most beautiful international landscape painting base. Today, we are here to hold “WHEN LONDON MEETS WENZHOU – THE SKETCHING AND EXHIBITION OF CHINESE AND BRITISH ARTISTS ", which is the best witness of the harmonious coexistence of Chinese culture and British culture. We hope that through the exchanges between Chinese and British artists, we can make cultural ties with art, promote tourism development with art, and achieve mutual benefit, win-win and progressive development between countries, cities and cities through mutual learning and learning of art and culture.

 Speech by Xu Xin, the member of the Standing Committee of Yongjia County Committee and the deputy of the county people's Government

    Xu Xin, the member of the Standing Committee of Yongjia County Committee and the deputy of the county people's Government said: "in recent years, we have complied with the new trend of the time of mass tourism, we also implemented the strategy of rejuvenating the county through tourism vigorously, we worked hard to create a national full-scale tourism demonstration County and a 5A level tourist attraction, and we actively cultivated new forms of business such as homestay. The number of tourists received by the county has maintained a high growth of more than 20% for five consecutive years, and has been awarded the honor of national leisure agriculture and rural tourism demonstration county, national ecological characteristic tourism County, the first regional tourism demonstration counties in Zhejiang Province. For the next move, we will strive to build a first-class landscape rural leisure and holiday destination in the Yangtze River Delta, and contribute our own strength to Wenzhou's construction of an international leisure and holiday tourism city and Zhejiang's construction of poetry and painting. "

Opening ceremony speech by British artist representative Robert Ken

    Robert Ken, the representative of British artists, said in his speech: "we are all exploring the meaning of the world. This event highlights the importance of art in all cultures. Art is very important at any time, especially now. No matter in terms of culture, economy or environment, nature and we are inseparable. We are part of nature. The creative ideas and inspiration must come from the heart. Painting is a poetic way of expressing our life experiences. Today we are gathered here, sharing and learning from each other with gratitude in the spirit of being inclusive. We are honored and look forward to working with Chinese art masters in the next two weeks. "

Postdoc of Peking University, Zhou Jianpeng, the event planner, introduced the event

    The event planner, participating artist, Peking University postdoctoral Zhou Jianpeng introduced the event: "Our event today is the second Chinese-Western cultural exchange project after When Paris Meets Wenzhou- Sketching and Exhibition of Chinese and French Artists in Wenzhou. The events will be continued as When Rome Meets Wenzhou, When Athens Meets Wenzhou, When New York Meets Wenzhou, etc., trying to have better communication between Chinese and Western cultures through art. Our activity is pided into two parts. The first part is Chinese and British sketch, have exhibitions, and seminars in Wenzhou from September 1-15, 2019. The second part is Chinese artists going to London, England to hold exhibitions and sketching (around October 2020). We believe that the interaction between Chinese artists and British artists will open up our thinking on the development of Eastern and Western culture in the past five or six hundred years in the time of the following year, and also enhance the exchanges between the two countries and cultural recognition from the interaction between artists and artists.

Exhibition site

Exhibition site

    Culture is a meaningful word. It is the crystallization of human wisdom, an essential part of civilization, and a witness to the history of human civilization. Art is a very important chapter in culture. Whether ancient cave paintings or cliff carvings, they are all the earliest art forms used in human history to express feelings and record history. At the same time, art is a universal language. Art can help cultural tourism, it can also help communication among people, and it connects with the world, and makes the world a better place. No doubt, art is also one of the catalysts for the integrated development of culture and tourism. 

    Wenzhou is a famous historical and cultural city in China, which is famous as “the best scenery of Southeast”. Since the reform and opening up, it has been the vanguard of China's economic construction. The 19th CPC National Congress has begun a new journey, and socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The combination of culture and tourism provides fertile soil for the innovative development of Wenzhou's cultural tourism industry. Therefore, Wenzhou will shoulder more responsibilities and obligations under the background of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; meanwhile, Wenzhou will gain better space for international development. “When London Meets Wenzhou – The Sketching And Exhibition Of Chinese And British Artists "the series of activities is the second international cultural and artistic exchange activity event after" When Paris Meets Wenzhou-The Sketching and Exhibition of Chinese and French Artists” held from May 2018 to April 2019. The activities have received strong support and recognition from government departments at all levels, artists and people from all walks of life. The event injects new vitality into each other's cultural and economic innovation and development in a new form of cultural exchange. At the same time, it is to implement the spirit of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government Tourism Development Conference, to create a brand of poetic painting, landscape, and gentleness Wenzhou. We hope to create a brand new international business card in Wenzhou through the in-depth cultural exchange of "Invite in" and "Go in". Starting from "Meeting", set up the "art" bridge, set sail in the great strategy of "Belt and Road", and it will strengthen cultural self-confidence and enhance cultural awareness. In the context of the great national rejuvenation, taking the Belt and Road initiative as an opportunity, we will unswervingly strengthen cultural exchanges with countries around the world and contribute to the great national rejuvenation in order to build the community of human destiny with the beauty of art.

Seminar site

Chinese and British artists exchange scene

    When Paris Meets Wenzhou- Sketching and Exhibition of Chinese and French Artists in Wenzhou. The series of activities will be launched in Lucheng, Yongjia, Yueqing, Dongtou, etc. from September 1st to September 14th, 2019. They are pided into exhibitions, forums, sketch creations, cultural inspections and other links. Ann Blockley, Robert Ken, Marguerite Horner, Emily Ball, Claire Fried, George Politis, John Ball, Nial Adams, Tom Voys, Liu Xilin, Cheng Dali, Wei Xiaorong, Lin Rongsheng, He Jialin, Zhang Gumin, Zhou Gang, Chen Hang, Zhang Jigang, Qiu Ting, Li Jiangfeng, Zhu Sha, Zhuang, Zhou Jianpeng, Ding Ning, 24 Chinese and British artists and theorists participated. The event was planned by Zhou Jianpeng, post-doctoral of Peking University, the chief curator of the Chinese side. Li Chen, president of the British-Chinese Economic and Cultural Promotion Association as the chief curator of the British side, and Lu Yu as the curator.

    We would like to make a present to the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.