Exhibit tells tales of ancient shipping journeys

Ties, first established along sea routes, between Sweden and China have been existing for centuries and Premier Wen Jiabao will be the first Chinese premier to visit in nearly three decades.

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port on the Scandinavian Peninsula and was the first port used by Swedish ships to sail to China to trade porcelain, silk and tea, which were considered luxuries in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. The Gotheborg, named after the city, was the pride of Sweden's shipbuilding industry and witnessed prosperous trading between China and Europe during its three journeys to China.

Now, an exhibition called "The Gotheborg Sails to China" is retelling stories from some of those journeys. The exhibition is being held at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children in Beijing through May 8.

It's based on the children's book Jacob Travels to China, an account of Jacob's adventures on the Gotheborg more than 260 years ago, with text and drawings by Swedish artist Anita Steiner. Fifty of Steiner's paintings are displayed in the exhibition, along with some unique items from the 17th and 18th centuries such as pieces of porcelain from the Gotheborg, a sand timer and maps. Steiner's paintings depict the journeys of the trading ships through a child's eyes.

The 75-year-old artist visited the exhibition to discuss the stories behind the paintings. From 1984 to 1992, Steiner said she documented the excavations of the East Indiaman. While conducting the research, Steiner's three children asked her to share stories of the Gotheborg.

Steiner said she was too busy at the time, but promised to paint an illustration. Several years later, she integrated history with imagination and finished the storybook.

While the exhibition focused on ancient communication between the two countries, Chinese audiences have also had the opportunity to learn about modern Sweden through various cultural events.

The performance in Beijing by renowned Swedish band Roxette in 1995 was one of the first Western pop performances in China. The Swedish pop duo returned to China in March and sang hits such as It Must Have Been Love and Joyride, in Beijing and Shanghai.

"I remember the asbestos dust coming down from the ceiling during sound check - everyone was coughing," Per Gessle said, recalling the band's show in 1995. "It was a very emotional concert for all of us. The whole band got together afterwards and cried a bit, actually."

Indie rock bands from Sweden have also visited China frequently during the past few years, becoming one of the more popular attractions at outdoor music festivals.

The Swedish indie rock band Mando Diao headlined the Beijing Pop Music Festival and Midi Music Festival in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the Beijing-based indie rock band Queen Sea Big Shark was invited to open Mando Diao's concert in Beijing, which attracted more than 1,000 people.

Immanu El, a Swedish post-rock band from Jonkoping founded in 2004 by two brothers, is touring Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Chongqing and Chengdu, Sichuan province.

In March, Sweden's most-read living children's author Martin Widmark visited Beijing and met with Chinese publishing houses. He also visited famous Chinese children's book author Cao Wenxuan, and the two agreed to cooperate on a new book.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn