"Inheriting the historical context and promoting the spirit of the Silk Road" the first China Silk Road Photography Exhibition was unveiled in Huangyuan, Qinghai

▲As the guests pressed the shutter of their cameras, the 2023 First Silk Road Photography Exhibition series of activities officially kicked off in the ancient city of Dangar, Huangyuan County, Qinghai Province.

The Silk Road presents a grand scene, and images write a new chapter. On September 28, under the guidance of the China Photographers Association, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee, Xining Municipal People’s Government, Qinghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Qinghai Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Qinghai Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, Documentary Photography Committee of the Chinese Photographers Association, China Photography The 2023 First China Silk Road Photography Exhibition series organized by Publishing Media Co., Ltd. officially opened at Gonghaimen Square in Dangar Ancient City, Huangyuan County, Xining City, Qinghai Province through on-site and online live broadcasts. More than 2,000 photographic works in 15 themed exhibitions spread across 7 main exhibition areas are like pearls scattered in the "Silk Road Hub", connecting the historical memories of the thousands-mile Silk Road and stirring up the beauty of harmony across mountains and rivers.

▲Pictures of guests visiting the exhibition

In the golden autumn of 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the major initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the “Belt and Road Initiative”). As a major measure for China to expand its opening up to the outside world, the “One Belt, One Road” initiative has opened a new chapter in the development of China and the world. As of June 2023, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative with 152 countries and 32 international organizations. From concept to action, from vision to reality, the "Belt and Road" initiative carries out regional cooperation on a larger scale, at a higher level and at a deeper level, is committed to safeguarding the global free trade system and an open world economy, promotes exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and demonstrates The common ideals and beautiful pursuits of human society have added new positive energy to world peace and development.

The first China Silk Road Photography Exhibition settled in Qinghai at such a historical moment, displaying new concepts, new practices, and new technologies in the development of photography in Huangyuan (ancient name Dangar), aiming to share the achievements of photographic culture and build an open, diverse, collaborative A photography cultural platform that promotes common progress and results sharing, promotes the high-quality development of photography art and industry, enhances the spiritual and cultural life of the people, and lights up the engine of social development with the light of art.

Dong Zhanshun, Director of the International Liaison Department of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Zheng Gengsheng, Secretary of the Party Group of the China Photographers Association and Vice Chairman of the Council; Wu Jian, Vice Chairman; Lu Yan, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee; Gu Xiaoheng and Li Guoquan, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Member of the Standing Committee of the Xining Municipal Party Committee and Propaganda Officer Minister Zhang Aihong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau Wu Guolong, Director and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Photography Publishing and Media Co., Ltd. Chen Qijun, Chairman of the Provincial Photographers Association Cai Zheng, Huangyuan County Party Committee Secretary Han Junliang, County Party Committee Deputy Secretary and County Mayor Dong Feng, County People’s Congress Ren Yongde, Director of the Standing Committee, Ma Tianyuan, Chairman of the County CPPCC, and representatives of photographers associations at all levels from Beijing, Shanghai, Guizhou, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Guangxi, Xinjiang and other places, as well as some well-known photographers, experts and scholars, participating authors, etc. Attended the opening ceremony. Gan Zhanfang, member of the Standing Committee of the Huangyuan County Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, presided over the ceremony.

▲Wu Jian, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Photographers Association, delivered a speech

Wu Jian said in his speech that this photography exhibition is one of the concrete actions to implement the spirit of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Counterpart Assistance to Youth and the Joint Meeting of the Eastern and Western Collaborating Provincial and Municipal Federations of Literary and Art Circles. Civilizations are colorful due to exchanges, and civilizations are enriched due to mutual learning. He believes that the continued holding of the Silk Road Photography Exhibition will further enhance Qinghai’s influence, attractiveness, popularity and reputation. While telling Chinese stories and spreading China’s voice well, it will also establish and demonstrate credibility. , the lovely new image of Qinghai, and contribute the power of photography to the construction of Qinghai as an international eco-tourism destination.

▲Li Guoquan, member of the leading party group and vice chairman of the Qinghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, delivered a speech

Li Guoquan said that Xining is an important transportation "big cross" on the Qinghai Road of the Silk Road. Huangyuan County under its jurisdiction straddles the key pass of the South Silk Road. According to the Tang-Tibet ancient road, Xining is an important economic and cultural town on the Qinghai Road of the Silk Road. It is also a city. An ancient historical and cultural city. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, it is just the right time for the first China Silk Road Photography Exhibition to settle in Huangyuan, Xining. The photography exhibition aims to build an external discourse system, build a cultural exchange platform, create an image card of Qinghai, show a new image of the beautiful Qinghai, and contribute the power of photography to the construction of an international eco-tourism destination. He sincerely invites photographers and tourists to come to Dangar, a famous historical and cultural city, to experience the elegance of the “Belt and Road Initiative” in the images.

▲Deputy Secretary of the Huangyuan County Party Committee and County Magistrate Dong Feng delivered a speech

Dong Feng said that looking back on the past, the Silk Road broke geographical restrictions and brought together visitors from all over the world. Today I stand on this road of culture and friendship again to continue this precious fate. I am willing to take this event as an opportunity to further strengthen exchanges with friends from all walks of life. I also sincerely invite everyone to pay enthusiastic attention and record the story with your lens. , share what you see with pictures, and light up the ancient city with flashlights.

▲At the opening ceremony, Liu Wenjun, deputy secretary of the Huangyuan County Party Committee, awarded the flag of Huangyuan’s first Silk Road Photography Training Camp to Chen Qijun, director and deputy editor-in-chief of China Photography Publishing and Media Co., Ltd.

With the theme of "Inheriting Historical Context and Promoting Silk Road Spirit", this photography exhibition uniquely visualizes the "Silk Road Spirit" with peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win as its core. The presentation shows the new era style of ancient cities, ancient heritage, and the ancient Silk Road, and includes the passionate creations of generations of photographers, constructing a unique image space where yesterday and today, East and West, landscape and customs blend together. The exhibition is integrated with the ancient city of Dangar through new planning, professional exhibition content, exquisite exhibition design, innovative presentation methods, and immersive viewing experience. The exhibition works illuminated by large-scale light-transmitting LEDs at night complement each other with the Huangyuan row of lanterns, a national intangible cultural heritage, and the effect of viewing the exhibition at night is particularly good.

▲The exhibition works illuminated by large-scale light-transmitting LEDs at night complement each other with the Huangyuan row of lanterns, a national intangible cultural heritage, and the exhibition effect is particularly good at night.

The contents of the exhibition are diverse, such as the photography exhibition of the past in the ancient city of Dangar, the special photography exhibition of the Tang-Tibet ancient road, and the pursuit of ancient ruins - the Silk Road Qinghai Road photography exhibition from the perspective of archaeology, etc., which connect the historical memory of the Silk Road; China's Golden Photographic Statue Award winner invitational exhibition, Chinese ancient city photography joint exhibition, 2023 first China Silk Road Photography Exhibition, "Lucid waters and lush mountains are gold and silver mountains" practice site photography tour, ecological Qinghai on the Silk Road, etc., show the beauty of harmony across mountains and rivers; China Photography exhibitions of world heritage sites along the “One Belt and One Road” and the Charming Silk Road - My Story of the Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race photography exhibition in the eyes of photographers show the visual expression of the “Silk Road Spirit”; Huangyuan Photographer Thematic exhibition and photography exhibition of "Historical and Cultural City" Huangyuan, Qinghai convey the charm of the times of Huangyuan, "the throat of the sea".

▲Exhibition scene

As the main exhibition venue, Gonghaimen Square in the ancient city of Dangar is crowded with tourists from morning to night. Local citizens attracted by the exciting activities gathered in front of photos showing Huangyuan's historical features and today's new look. They watched and recognized scenes that were either familiar or unfamiliar. There were also many tourists who came from far away during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. Some picked up their cameras to take pictures of the wonderful works they saw, and some took photos in front of the specially designed "frames" in the exhibition area. At the same time, online live broadcast and 360° panoramic display will bring the exhibition to the "cloud", allowing photographers from all over the world to see the glory of the exhibition.

▲A group photo of seminar guests

During the same period of the exhibition, a variety of exchanges, seminars, style collection, experience and other activities were held. At the New Era Silk Road Image Theory Seminar held in the afternoon, representatives of the photography industry from different fields such as theoretical researchers, curators, photographers, and travel photography experts focused on the history, value, and new era expression of Silk Road-themed images. topic for discussion. The travel photography exchange meeting invites travel photography industry “traders” from many well-known photography locations across the country to have face-to-face exchanges around new phenomena and trends in industry development.

▲Wu Jian, Vice Chairman of the China Photographers Association, teaches students at the first Silk Road Photography Training Camp

In the famous lecture session of the Silk Road Photography Training Camp, Wu Jian gave a lecture on "Photography and Presentation of Cultural Heritage on the Silk Road" to the photographers present, and Mei Sheng, winner of the China Photography Award, gave a lecture on "Echoes of the Ancient Cities on the Silk Road" for them. More than a hundred photographers shared and imparted their experiences, and communicated and interacted at close range. Silk Road Photography Training Camp, Photography Friends Competition, etc. build photography practice platforms, teaching, shooting, selecting, and commenting to help students improve their knowledge and broaden their horizons.

This exhibition is organized by China Photography Newspaper, Qinghai Photographers Association, Huangyuan County Committee of the Communist Party of China, Huangyuan County People's Government, Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Qinghai Provincial Museum, Cultural Relics Photography Professional Committee of the Chinese Cultural Relics Society, and China Scenic Areas Association It is co-organized by the Photography Professional Committee, China Millennium Monument World Art Center, Xining Photographers Association, and Huangyuan Zisheng Mining Co., Ltd. The exhibition will last until October 8.

Huangyuan County, Xining City, Qinghai Province is located on the east bank of Qinghai Lake, the upper reaches of the Huangshui River, and the eastern foothills of Riyue Mountain. It is located at the junction of the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, agricultural areas and pastoral areas, and farming culture and grassland culture. Huangyuan is a Silk Road hub, a tea and horse trading capital, one of the birthplaces of Kunlun culture, and an ancient military town. It is known as the "throat of the sea", "tea and horse trading capital" and "little Beijing". It has formed a unique cultural heritage over thousands of years. Unique Huangyuan regional culture. The dazzling Huangyuan lanterns, the unique folk social fire, the colorful "Hua'er" folk art, the mysterious and sacred worship of the Queen Mother of the West, etc., all reflect the blending and intersection of multiple cultures.

Huangyuan has been associated with photography for a long time. More than a hundred years ago, Americans Bo Limey and David Bo took a batch of photos here that reflected the urban and rural style, production and life, and social activities of Huangyuan. These old photos span time and space, allowing people to intuitively feel the rapid development and changes of Huangyuan County since the reform and opening up, and cultivate the feelings of caring for the hometown, inheriting culture, and loving hometown.

▲Danggar Old Street taken from the Gonghaimen Gate Tower (1942) provided by David Bo

In recent years, the Huangyuan County Committee of the Communist Party of China and the County People's Government have firmly established the development concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", focused on creating a highland of ecological civilization, building "four places" for industry, and anchoring "a strong ecological county in the upper reaches of Huangshui River" The goal is to take "cultural enhancement and all-region tourism" as the starting point, based on reform and innovation, promote the in-depth integrated development of culture and tourism, and rely on the characteristic cultural and tourism resources of "Ancient Post Dangar" to create the "Hometown of China's Dilan Art" "Historical and Cultural City" and other cultural tourism business cards. A revitalization road with Huangyuan characteristics spreads out among the green mountains and green waters, showing vitality and vitality.

Text: Li Qian Wu Ping

Picture: Jing Weidong, Zhang Hanyan, Gao Song, Deng Xufeng, Wang Jidong, Li Shengfang Zhanjun, Wang Jianqing, Zhang Yongzhong, Wang Yonghong, Dong Gang, Wu Ping

Exhibition pictures: