◆ Jiang Feng, editor-in-chief of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Japan Monthly
In Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, there is an art hall called "Baihua Art Museum", which has not only become a new landmark of local culture and art since its grand opening in July 2023, but also acts as a bridge between Chinese and Japanese cultures, promoting exchanges and understanding between the two countries. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the opening of Baihua Art Museum, we went to the site to participate in the celebration activities, and expressed our most sincere congratulations to the founder, Wei Xianren, an overseas Chinese living in Japan, and were willing to delve into the far-reaching cultural significance and extensive influence of this art museum.
1. Artistic dreams, blooming the flowers of reality
As the president of the Japan Shichuan Overseas Chinese Association and the president of the Japan-China Art Exchange Association, Wei Xianren's life experience is an inspirational legend in itself. In his early years, he went to Japan to study, and with his unremitting efforts, he has made remarkable achievements in the catering industry and other fields. However, he did not stop there, but set his sights on a more far-reaching field of culture and art. The establishment of Baihua Art Museum is the brilliant bloom of Wei Xianren's artistic feelings and family and country feelings.
The birth of this art museum originated from Wei Xianren's dream of collecting art for many years. He is well aware that art is not only the enjoyment of beauty, but also an important carrier of cultural inheritance and exchange. Therefore, he has devoted himself to bringing together a large number of precious Chinese, Japanese and Western art treasures, providing a high-end platform for art lovers in Kanazawa and around the world to view, learn and communicate.
2. An artistic feast, a journey of resonance with the five senses
Since its opening, Baihua Art Museum has attracted the attention of many art lovers with its rich collections, elegant exhibitions and unique cultural atmosphere. The museum's exhibits include famous paintings of the Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing and modern dynasties in China, masterpieces from the Muromachi and Edo periods in Japan, as well as classic works such as oil paintings and sculptures from the European Renaissance to modern and contemporary times. These art treasures that transcend time and space complement each other in the Baihua Art Museum, bringing a feast for the audience's eyes, ears and even the soul.
It is also worth mentioning that Baihua Art Museum pays attention to professionalism, and its establishment is inseparable from the academic support and professional planning of Professor Han Xuezhong, an art creation researcher and graduate school tutor from the Chinese Academy of Arts. This shows from another side that Wei Xianren knows people and is good at his duties, and has pursued the character of Baihua Art Museum from the beginning.
What's more worth mentioning is that Baihua Art Museum is not only a static art exhibition space, but also a vibrant platform for cultural exchange. At last year's opening ceremony, dignitaries, artists, scholars and friends from all walks of life from China and Japan gathered together to witness this cultural event. At this year's anniversary celebration, Yang Xian, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Nagoya, sent a congratulatory message, and the guests gathered again to look back on the artistic path they have traveled. It is understood that Baihua Art Museum also regularly holds art lectures, workshops, exhibitions and other activities, so that the light of art can illuminate the hearts of more people.
3. Cultural envoys, embracing all rivers
The establishment of Baihua Art Museum is not only the realization of Wei Xianren's personal artistic dream, but also an important measure to promote cultural exchanges and understanding between China and Japan. In this era of globalization, cultural exchanges and mutual learning are particularly important. By exhibiting treasures of Chinese, Japanese and Western art, Baihua Art Museum has built a cultural bridge across national borders, allowing people from different cultural backgrounds to meet, know and integrate here. Because of this, not only overseas Chinese and Japanese in Japan have visited the museum in the past year, but also visitors from United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Macao, with as many as 18,000 visitors.
Cheng Lin, a Chinese singer who came to participate in the first anniversary of the opening of Baihua Art Museum, said, "Those who love art must be cultural envoys. We have reason to look forward to more cultural envoys coming out of Baihua Art Museum. ”
Wei Xianren knows that art has no borders and culture needs to be exchanged. Therefore, he actively promotes the cooperation and exchange between Baihua Art Museum and art museums in Japan and other countries, providing a more diversified art experience for art lovers in China, Japan and even the world. This open and inclusive attitude not only shows Wei Xianren's international vision, but also embodies the cultural spirit of the Chinese nation that is inclusive and inclusive.
Fourth, in the face of disasters, perseverance and responsibility
Looking back on the past year, Baihua Art Museum has also experienced many challenges and tests. In particular, at the beginning of this year, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, which not only brought great disaster to the local people, but also affected the Baihua Art Museum, which is less than 100 kilometers away from the epicenter. In the face of this sudden disaster, Wei Xianren did not flinch, but chose to stand up and actively organize overseas Chinese to participate in the earthquake relief work. He not only personally donated materials to support the reconstruction of the disaster area, but also used the platform of Baihua Art Museum to hold the "Come on! Noto charity auction and art performance event raised more than 2 million yen to support the people affected by the disaster. This time, at the commemoration of the first anniversary of the opening of the Baihua Art Museum, Wei Xianren once again initiated a charity donation for the Noto earthquake-stricken area. This kind of commitment and dedication in the face of disasters is deeply admirable.
Fifth, the light of art, the wish of sustainable inheritance
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the opening of Baihua Art Museum, people have reason to believe that this art palace will continue to shine under the leadership of Wei Xianren. In the future, Baihua Art Museum will continue to uphold the concept of openness and inclusiveness, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the international art community, and provide more high-quality art resources and services for art lovers in China, Japan and even the world. At the same time, the museum will also actively assume social responsibility and give back to the society and convey love by holding various public welfare activities.
It is expected that the Baihua Art Museum will become a bright business card for Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship and understanding between the two peoples. May the artistic light of Baihua Art Museum continue to be inherited and illuminate the future road of Sino-Japanese friendship! (Photo: Yang Ming, photojournalist of the Central Branch of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Japan Monthly)