China's Centennial Brilliance-the Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Works, jointly sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Organization for Education, Science and Culture of the United Nations (UNESCO), was opened Monday evening in the UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. More than 400 celebrities from various circles paid a visit to the exhibition after attending the opening ceremony.
As part of the events, the "Chinese Season of Culture", now on display in Paris are more than 120 pieces of fine art works done by some 40-odd painters and calligraphers. The splendid works of diversified styles fully represent the features and levels of the Chinese fine arts in the contemporary times. With its unique poetic sense and elegance of the orient it has charmed away many visitors.
At the opening ceremony, Koichiro Matsuura, director general of UNESCO said that the exhibits have embodied the boundless richness of the craftsmanship and concepts of the Chinese art works that are on a par with those of the world. They are as colorful as the 56 ethnic minorities of the Chinese nation. He said the success achieved by the outstanding artists have rendered him confidence in the even greater and more brilliant achievements that China will be able to offer in the future.
Since the "Chinese Season of Culture" was unveiled in Paris on October 28 last year, it has successively staged the large-scale Chinese folk-music and concert, Peking opera-"Women Generals of the Yang Family", the Exhibition of Chinese Archaeological Findings and the "Roaring of Dragon - a display of the Chinese Chime Bells".
(People’s Daily 01/10/2001)
