Art History

China Artistry in the News

In a recent NPR Morning Edition article by Sandy Totten, Americans found that China wants to use the western movie making infrastructure to promote China and its long history. “The Chinese government-owned company recently invested $30 million in hopes of making a movie that would both celebrate Chinese culture and turn a tidy profit.”

International Exhibit Showcasing the Three Kingdoms Era

“The Three Kingdoms era can fairly be said to have been one of the most dramatic periods in Chinese history. The Battle of the Red Cliff, 1,800 years ago, marked the commencement of a new era, in which China was divided into three kingdoms. Stories of the Three Kingdoms are still told today….

The more than 100 artifacts shown in this exhibition…depict a comprehensive picture of the history and culture of the Three Kingdoms era. The artifacts include bronzes, decorated tiles, paintings and calligraphy, seals, ceramics, lacquerware, gold and copper vessels, wood-carvings, and modern handicrafts with the Three Kingdoms theme. The earliest pieces date from the Eastern Han dynasty, the most recent from the twentieth century; they thus cover a time span of nearly two millennia. The exhibition focuses on three main themes: the official histories of the era, the period as depicted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the continuing influence of the Three Kingdoms era in modern times. It is anticipated that, by presenting the era from different angles and on different levels, and by adopting wide-ranging approaches, it should be possible to present a comprehensive picture of military affairs, technology, the economy, daily life, art, religion, etc. in the Three Kingdoms era, as well as the influence that the history of the Three Kingdoms has exerted on later generations. In studying the ebb and flow of the power struggle among the Three Kingdoms hegemonies, and the planning that the generals and strategists undertook in their effort to secure control over the whole of China, we can see how each battle and each stratagem influenced the course of political events. The ups and downs of this conflict, with all its fascinating details, are deeply imprinted on our consciousness. The countless [non-fiction] books that have been written about the Three Kingdoms era, as well as the many movies, computer games, etc. of recent times, have succeeded in maintaining a high level of interest in this period, not only among people in Taiwan and China, and ethnic Chinese in other parts of the world, but also among our neighbors in Japan. When the Great Romance of the Three Kingdoms exhibition toured Japan in 2008, it attracted more than one million visitors, setting a new record for the largest number of visitors ever to a China-themed exhibition in Japan.”

Yeah, and that’s just Japan. Think of all the Asians who live throughout the world (not to mention those ROTK fans who aren’t Asian), and I’d say my novel has good reader base. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the Ming Dynasty novel upon which my historical fantasy is based. Oh, how I wish I could see this exhibit! For pictures and the complete article, please go to the Taiwanese National Museum of History special exhibition, Legends of Heroes: The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era, or select this link.

Back to revamping the opening. Again.