At a table in a meadow, Pang Xianpo, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage chuan ta – the art of replicating text and pictures from wooden or stone carvings on paper – is teaching people from other countries some of the art form's methods.
"Sculpture as an art is spread worldwide, but chuan ta is uniquely Chinese because we were very good at manufacturing different kinds of papers, such as the one that feels like cotton," he said. "That's only one part of the Chinese culture appealing to the world and I hope we can promote cultural exchanges."
As he speaks, he guides the overseas visitors on details that will make their chuan ta creation better.
Soldat Tatjana, a director of the Serbian Cultural Center in Beijing who speaks fluent Chinese, is one of the people taking part.
Holding a fan with pictures derived from stone carvings via chuan ta, she is proud of her artistic work and shares her views on promoting cultural exchange.
"I think cultural exchange requires communication and that's what I am working on," she said. "If we don't understand the cultural basis, our exchanges in other fields may not be so convenient and easy. I think culture is a very important field. Although our two countries are geographically far apart, our hearts are very close. I think the common ground of traditional culture is a very important factor."
The gathering took place during the 2024 Discover China Cultural Tour of Beijing for Diplomats in China, which was organized by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center from Friday to Sunday.
The tour was aimed at diplomats and their families and took in representative scenic sites in Beijing, so they could gain a deeper insight into the metropolis.
"It was amazing," said Thuresi Ndarama, a third secretary at Zimbabwe's embassy. "I have been in China for five years and it is my first time here, to the other side of Beijing, that amazes me with its cultural activities … It was really interesting and I learned a lot today."
