2019 BFSU ISS's cultural trip to the National Museum of China
On July 20, 29 international experts, teaching assistants and students took a bus trip to the National Museum of China (NMC), as an activity of BFSU International Summer Session.
The team set out at around 8:00 a.m. The guide gave a brief introduction to the schedule. All team members were eager to visit the museum.
With a floor area of 200,000 square meters, National Museum of China houses more than 1 million pieces of exhibits that are displayed in 48 exhibition halls. As the largest museum in the world by floor area of single building, NMC boasts the richest collection of Chinese cultural relics and ranks among the most popular museums. Since March 2018, NMC will no longer require admission ticket. Visitors can enter NMC by swiping their ID cards.
NMC consists of two parts: permanent exhibitions and theme exhibitions. A permanent exhibition, “Ancient China” displayed a rich collection of ancient cultural relics in accordance with the change of ancient Chinese dynasties, giving an overview of China’s political, economic, cultural and social life in different periods of time. The exhibition demonstrated the continuity of Chinese culture and the long history that all ethnic groups work hand in hand to build a nation with a diverse ethnicity. It also showcased the glorious achievements the Chinese nation has made and its significant contributions to humanity. Long admiring the Chinese culture, our international experts had a strong longing to visit the exhibition.
At the same time NMC was holding a series of theme exhibitions: Sharing a Common Future -- Exhibition of Treasures from National Museums Along the Silk Road, The Splendor of Asia-- An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations, State Gifts: Historical Testament to Friendly Exchanges, Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Jade ware, Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Buddhist Sculptures. International experts and students were fascinated with the exhibits in the Buddhist Sculpture Hall, listening attentively to the guide’s introduction. Buddhism originated in the East and was the origin of many other western cultures. So western scholars think that Buddhism has a mysterious color. This is the debut for most exhibits, which showed the history of Buddhist sculpture art and the artistic significance and distinctive features of Chinese Buddhist sculptures. The experts were all impressed by the artistic beauty and the profound Buddhist teachings.
Another exhibition, Mind Trip -- Exhibition of Holographic Representations of the Art of Vincent van Gogh, also received favorable reviews from our team. Over 200 art works by Vincent van Gogh, the genius post-impressionist, were transformed into video displays by holographic technology and VR technology, offering the visitors an immersive experience and letting them have a profound understanding of Vincent van Gogh.
The 2-hour trip was really absorbing. After the activity, some experts decided to continue their visit by themselves. On the bus back to BFSU, the rest of the team talked about their experience with great zeal. This trip gave the participants more sense about the depth, inclusiveness and diversity of the Chinese culture.
