Written by: Shahnawaz Ramay
Posted on: January 20, 2020 | 
| 中文
A Performance at Happy Chinese New Year Gala (photo credits to China Cultural Centre in Pakistan)
The “Happy New Years Gala”, dedicated to the Chinese New Year, was celebrated with color and laughter recently at PNCA, Islamabad. Chinese culture is very unique, in that it too is based on 12 zodiac signs that differ from their western counterparts. This 25th January, the year of the Rat, the first animal of the zodiac, will be celebrated by the Chinese people with food, family and gifts.
The myth surrounding the order of the zodiacs is based on a story of the Jade Emperor, who decided the order based on those who won the Emperor’s race across a rapid current. The Rat being clever and quick-witted, asked an Ox for a ride, and jumped at an opportune moment to claim first place. To the Chinese, rats are often seen as a sign of wealth, fertility and surplus. People born in the Year of the Rat are deemed to be clever, intelligent and resourceful, while living quiet lives. On the occasion of Chinese New Year, every house is decorated in bright red, the most favored color of the Chinese.
A Picture of the Jade Emperor (photo credits to Wikipedia)
The essential course on all Chinese menus for a family reunion dinner will be a steamed or braised whole fish, representing surplus. Dumplings are indispensable for northerners, while rice cakes are for southerners.
The China Cultural Center in Pakistan (CCCP) organized two different activities to celebrate the New Year or Spring Festival. A small exhibition called “Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage”, comprised of artists who displayed and demonstrated their skills to students and enthusiasts. The “Happy Chinese New Year Gala” performance comprised of over 30 different music & dance performances. The chief guests were H.E. Mr. Zhang Heqing, the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Director General PNCA, Mr. Li Yanxuan, Deputy Director CCCP, and the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan.
Dance Performance at the Gala (photo credits to China Cultural Centre in Pakistan)
A variety of artists displayed handicrafts and art from all over China. Upon entering the exhibition area, one’s attention was captured by a kite display featuring intricately made shapes of birds, deities and insects. Chinese kite makers use local historical figures and creatures, and pay tribute to them through the pictures on kites. A skeletal structure is made of Bamboo, paying attention to the symmetry and weight. Next, a group of painters hand-paint designs by a method of tracing and pasting. The kite-master present revealed that there were eight ways of checking the kite’s flying abilities, not very different from kite culture in Pakistan. In fact, the master was quite familiar with Basant, and kite-making in Pakistan.
The Kite Master Showing Kite Patterns to Students
The next stall that caught our attention was the Chinese Calligraphy Stall, where the writer learnt how to write “Happy New Year” in traditional lettering. This stall was quite crowded, as participants followed and learnt from the skillful strokes of the patient master. The table was scattered with enthusiasts lettering with fine-tipped, ornate calligraphy brushes and locally manufactured Chinese ink. Afterwards, the participants would pose for photographs and say “Happy Chinese New Year” in Chinese with smiles.
Students Writing Happy New Year Calligraphy (photo credits to China Cultural Centre in Pakistan)
A third stall, coupled with lights and a three-tier display simply wowed the viewers. The lights made the pieces look almost listless and bland from afar. But upon closer inspection, the egg shells were intricately carved into animals, landscapes and even portraits. The master, along with his translator, told us that this was done by hand on natural & organic laid chicken eggs. Since the egg naturally has a dusty brown cover over the original white shell, the master has to visualize each etching and the pressure it would take to carve into the egg. On the top of the display, was a medium-sized egg that was an intricate net of Koi fish. With scales and other jaw dropping details, it that took four hours to complete. Right next to it was the upcoming Olympic Games logo designed on an egg that the translator said would be on display during the Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
Apart from the exhibition, the dazzling folk songs, dances and comedy acts, these exhibitions have become a vibrant staple of Islamabad’s cultural scene. They have served as an important way for China and Pakistan to promote their decades-long and evergreen friendship through the medium of culture and art.
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