Spring is a time for renewal, rebirth and rejuvenation.

On March 16, 2023, Invitational Exhibition of The 2023 Global Zodiac Design Competition was held in Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center. Themed with Year of the Rabbit, the Exhibition enabled visitors to gain an insight into the cultural connotations of the Rabbit, one of the Twelve Zodiac Animals, through visiting the invitational exhibition of Global Zodiac Celebration Design Competition and experiencing vivid and rich cultural art activity of painting Tu'erye (Lord Rabbit), so as to tell Chinese zodiac culture stories well and convey China's voices.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

Aiming at making guests better appreciate Chinese culture, the organizers invited Bai Jin, a Peking Opera performer from Jingju Theater Company of Beijing, to perform the Peking Opera play "Mu Guiying Takes Command". Diplomats from Embassies of SCO countries in China  including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar etc. and many famous artists attended the event. The guests from China and abroad gained a vivid impression of zodiac culture through a series of rich and colorful activities. The event not only provided a creative expression of Chinese zodiac culture but also enhanced cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and other countries.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

Liu Zuokui, Deputy Director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Lyu Pinjing, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Huang Shu, Vice Minister of the Liaison Department of All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), Zheng Wei, Secretary-General of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the SCO, Musaeva Aktilek Ishengazyevna, ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to China, H. E. Mr. Bishnu Puka Shrestha, ambassador of Nepal to China, Akkoshkarov Nurlan, minister-counselor of the Kazakhstani Embassy in China, Stepkina Natalia, minister-counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, and other guests attended the event and delivered the speeches. At the beginning of the event, Liu Zuokui extended warm welcome and greetings to all distinguished guests. He said "Zodiac Animals have close connection with human being, and zodiac culture has become part of Chinese festivals and etiquette. Today, we sincerely invite distinguished guests from China and abroad to attend this event to better understand the connotation of the zodiac rabbit --- auspiciousness and harmony and gain deeper and fresher understanding of traditional Chinese culture. I hope today's event can build a bridge of friendship and send the blessings of Chinese zodiac culture to every guest." The vice president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Lv Pinjing mentioned in her remarks that all guests here were expected to feel the profound charm produced by the collision of the tradition and the fashion of Chinese Zodiac culture presented by artists and designers using contemporary image language in the context of cultural confidence in the New Era.

The event was jointly hosted by Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center, the Coordinated Innovation Office of CAFA, the Secretariat of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, and the Liaison Department of ACWF.

Artworks on display bring a wave of creative way to show the zodiac culture

The Invitational Exhibition of Global Zodiac Celebration Design Competition invited Professor Wu Jianan, who is an artist and Deputy Director of School of Experimental and Sci-Tech Arts, Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Wang Hairu, Deputy Director of Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center, to specifically introduce the prize-winning design works of the completion as well as works of specially invited artists displayed at Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Centers, in an effort to share innovative expressions of traditional zodiac culture and inspire new resonance among artists.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

During the event, Huang Shu, Vice Minister of the Liaison Department of ACWF, said that many excellent zodiac design works on display were created by female artists from various countries and she believed that this event would build a brand-new platform for art and cultural exchanges among SCO countries and contribute women's force to promoting people-to-people friendship and common development. She also wished the event a great success and the SCO countries a prosperous, fruitful future.

Musaeva Aktilek Ishengazyevna, ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to China, mentioned in the speech that the rabbit, as the zodiac of this new year, symbolizes achievement, harvesting, and prosperity in Chinese culture. She believed that rabbit, as symbol of auspiciousness, would bring political stability and economic prosperity to both Kyrgyzstan and China, as well as good luck to further enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Intangible cultural heritage reflects enchantment of Chinese cultural treasures

The prototype of Tu'erye (Lord Rabbit), a traditional craft in Beijing, is the Jade Rabbit. In Chinese mythology, the Jade Rabbit lives in the moon palace together with Chang'e, the Goddess of Moon. Tu'erye, a combination of deity and secularity is popular among ordinary people. Today, it has been one of the most representative intangible cultural heritage items in Beijing. During the event, Mr. Zhang Zhongqiang, inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage Beijing painted clay sculpture, instructed guests to paint Tu'erye, allowing them to experience the exquisiteness of the craft and enjoy the charm of Beijing's intangible heritage culture.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

Peking Opera demonstrates the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture

Peking Opera and Zodiac Animals are both integral parts of fine traditional Chinese culture. At the event, guests from different countries watched the performance of the Peking Opera play "Mu Guiying Takes Command" to experience the beauty of Peking Opera and enjoy the charm of Chinese culture.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

The Global Zodiac Design Competition

The Global Zodiac Design Competition is a cultural event jointly hosted by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and the Central Academy of Fine Arts and organized by Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center and other institutions. Over the past nine years since its inception, the annual competition has yielded abundant achievements in zodiac design. To date, it has received nearly 30,000 design works from 32 Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions as well as over 20 countries, among which more than 400 works won the prize. The competition provides a platform for the international exchanges on traditional Chinese culture and continues to tell China's stories and convey China's voices well to the world through innovative development and transformation of Chinese zodiac culture. The preparatory work of 2024 Global Zodiac Celebration Design Competition (Year of the Dragon) is processing now. We sincerely invite global designers who love zodiac to participate in the activity. Please follow us for the latest updates.

[Photo/Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center]

The invitational exhibition of Celebration Year - 2023 Global Zodiac Celebration Design Competition (Year of the Rabbit) reservation QR code: