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Chinahighlights Inspection Trip around Guilin
Some of staff from
Vice Manager of CITS, Mr. Zhou was leader of that team. We headed firstly to the Guangxi Normal University Painting gallery; as its name indicates, it is located inside the campus of the
The art gallery is an extravaganza of masterpieces collected over a long period of time; some of the paintings are centuries old. It contains three exhibition halls with paintings from masters from different periods and from different painting schools. Detailed Explanations in English are given to allow foreign visitors the chance to get a better understanding of the Chinese paintings and artists.
We were then transferred to visit two pearl museums;
The
The Artists'Gallery is on the second floor and contains works from up & coming artist which are quite collectable. Some of the proceeds from the sales go to an education fund for the talented children. Most of the paintings in this hall are created by the masters of Chinese Painting Committee of Guilin and the themes are diverse. They cover almost everything in daily life. In addition, there is a section for the minority embroidery pieces and silver ornaments display. Guangxi is home to 11 minority groups. These ethnic groups mainly live in the mountainous areas where they have created a unique lifestyle and culture in the tough environment. Minority women are especially talented at needlework. They use the small needles and thin thread to embroider intricate and elegant artworks. These items are rich in the strong ethnic features and they are all totally handmade. I noted one red piece with very intricate patterns and was told that it took one year to complete.
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The Collection Hall displays the art of masters from across china. Works here feature skillful sketch, subtle color that are powerful in meaning and unique in style.
In a demonstration of brushwork, a young man painted a bamboo piece in front of us in less than 3 minutes.
The highlight of our trip was our visit to the
The Tea garden covers a very large area. It is summer time and tea trees flourish. A breeze blows through, the flowing green land really evoke an ambience of refreshing and relaxation. We were received by a man called Nico who can speak excellent English. Nico gave us a detailed explanation on tea plant, tea picking, tea making and basic knowledge on the catalogue of Chinese teas. Travelers are provided the chance to pick tea there. Visual display on how tea is made was shown.
Nico then lead us to a small room to explain us the tea ceremony. He took out a wooden box with slates, and on it sat a teapot made of purple sand clay-one of the most prized materials for Chinese teapots, a clay pitcher and several small cups. He poured water into the pot, already crammed with tea leaves. And then emptied the liquid over the cups" this is to wash the cups" he explained.
Then with quick, graceful movements, he refilled the pot and drained into contents into the pitcher. "Now a pot of fragrant tea is ready"Nico said.
"Please try it" he then poured the tea into the cups and passed them to us.
"It is fragrant and sweet" agreed all of us.
After our lunch at a small local restaurant close to the tea garden, we hopped on our bus home.
The trip was interesting and valuable. All of us have gained so much from this trip and it has really inspired our love for nature and traveling. Thanks to God for creating such a beautiful world.
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