Yin Qi is an art collector and promoter of a particular genre of traditional Chinese art called Chinese New Year Paintings. Having an experience of almost two decades in the field, Yin takes us to explore the fascinating world of this traditional Chinese folk art to enjoy its beauty, culture and legends.
CGTN: Poetry Sans Frontiers: 3: Ep.3 Dreams
CGTN: Poetry Sans Frontiers: 3: Ep.2: Life
CGTN: Poetry Sans Frontiers: 3 Ep.1: Family
Footprints: Fan Zeng
“I can make my brush travel thousands of miles, or within spitting distance. It’s all in my brushstrokes.” Says 86-year-old Fan Zeng, a contemporary master of traditional Chinese ink and wash painting whose works have received critical acclaim globally. Combining Chinese free-hand ink spattering style with western realistic painting techniques, Fan Zeng weaves aesthetic harmony with his brushstrokes.
Footprints: Xu Rong
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Over the past six decades, people from the two countries have developed profound friendship and conducted fruitful cultural exchanges. One of the examples is Xu Rong, who has been promoting a traditional Chinese martial art called Tai Chi in France for nearly 20 years. But what really is Tai Chi? And how has this Chinese woman been promoting it among people who previously knew nothing about it? Join this edition of Footprints to find out.
Footprints: Wei Zuochun
Footprints: Wei Zuochun
The Minhall and Jones Podcast - Episode 45
In which we discuss ...
Favourite months of the year.
TV foodies Rick Stein and Stanley Tucci.
Slutty Cheese.
Being blessed by a priest in a pub.
Leftovers.
Horsey chefs.
And giving the end of the Mousetrap away!
Cen Feng: Building a “super” railway bridge with grit and wit
Cen Feng, a veteran railway engineer, is building the world’s longest-span cross-sea dual-use bridge, which will be able to carry both high-speed trains and road vehicles. Being head of the project’s building team, Cen shoulders huge responsibility as the project involves massive engineering complexities and challenges. Over the past 12 months, he and his fellow builders have made steady progress with the project thanks to their diligence, perseverance and creativity.
CGTN: The Song Painted - 2
The Song Painted - Nature
The second season of CGTN Art Series, "The Song, Painted – Nature," employs a variety of formats, including bilingual Chinese and English immersive interactive web pages, in-depth interviews with experts from around the globe, high-definition showcases of paintings, social media posts and short video challenges.
Footprints: Cen Feng
Cen Feng: Building a “super” railway bridge with grit and wit
Cen Feng, a veteran railway engineer, is building the world’s longest-span cross-sea dual-use bridge, which will be able to carry both high-speed trains and road vehicles. Being head of the project’s building team, Cen shoulders huge responsibility as the project involves massive engineering complexities and challenges. Over the past 12 months, he and his fellow builders have made steady progress with the project thanks to their diligence, perseverance and creativity.
Footprints: Tan Jun
Tan Jun and the Chime Bells of Marquis Yi
The Chime Bells of Marquis Yi, a set of well-tuned carillon of sixty-five bronze bells unearthed in today’s Hubei province, is considered one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries in recent history. How does this ancient instrument sound like? And how does it feel to play the 2,400-year-old giant musical instrument? As one of very few who had played music on the famed chime bells, Tan Jun knows the answers to all these questions.
Footprints: Cen Huaxiu
Cen Huaxiu: Weaving dreams across borders with a passion for Chinese culture
22-year-old Cen Huaxiu is a fourth-year Vietnamese undergraduate student. She is presently studying Chinese at Zhejiang University, but her interest extends beyond the language. Growing up immersed in traditional Chinese cartoons and stories, Cen Huaxiu is profoundly drawn to Chinese culture and intends to pursue her dream of establishing a career in China while fostering friendships that transcend borders.
Footprints: Chen Zhenghua
Chen Zhenghua: Writing is my life-long calling
For nearly two decades, Chen Zhenghua has been riding on a wave of the boom of Chinese online literature, which includes fantasy novels, sci-fi, history, and other kinds of writings. His signature online novel Sword Snow Stride, which has been adapted into various cultural products, has brought him fame and fortune. Now having succeeded with domestic readers, Chen intends to bring his novels to the global market and he is confident international readers will also be drawn to the distinct contents of Chinese online literature.
G.K. Chesterton - Winter Fire
"It may be because I am silly, but I rather think that, relatively to the rest of the year, I enjoy Christmas more than I did when I was a child. My faith demands that such be the case. The more mature I become, the more I need to embrace the joys of the incarnation. The more mature I become, the more I need to be but a child". (G. K. Chesterton)
Experience the warmth of Christmas through the winsome wit and wisdom of beloved writer G. K. Chesterton.
Photo © Rob Jones - Heathrow
Scratching the Itch
This time last year I was in Spain, the Canaries to be exact.
It’s been a November thing for a few years to head to my ‘Happy Place’ in Fuertventura. Not this year so.
In many senses it’s the bleakest of all the Canary Islands and I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea - but it’s the peace and quiet, the wind and sunsets that I find so appealing.
Photo © Rob Jones - El Cotillo
It’s back to basics. Bare feet. Empty beaches. Wild winter swimming. Simple food.
That’s a holiday in my book.
I’m not interested in the tourist restaurants … I’m no good at the surfing lifestyle, though I don’t mind watching the skills of others … I have no wish to buy the trinkets to take home, put in a drawer and forget about.
Last year it was followed by a quick turnaround in a snowy Manchester airport - two hours sleep in a cheap airportside hotel - and then off to Corfu via Athens to house sit till the end of Feb.
Photo © Rob Jones
And again - simple food, empty resorts, and time alone (with cats).
I don’t think I am the kind of tourist the travel companies would want anyway. I’m the least likely to buy into the upselling, and most likely to seek out the eateries used by the locals, which are always the best anyways.
But it’s been a long time. And I can’t see any overseas travel for sometime yet.
Doesn’t stop me checking for deals though…
R.
Footprints: Hu Jiaojiao
Hu Jiaojiao: Cultivating a love for Nature in the next generation
“My mom and dad are guardians of the earth!” Says Hu Jiaojiao's 4-year-old daughter. Both Hu and her husband are Chinese explorers and glacier researchers who are invited to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, to share their experiences about glacier conservation in China. As an environmentalist and a mother, Hu Jiaojiao calls for people to cultivate a love for Nature in the next generation.