Display on Beijing puts South Africans in picture

After China fetes South Africa, its partner returns the compliment

South Africans are learning more about Chinese culture through the latest in a series of visual delights to celebrate the Year of China in South Africa 2015, which has gone on display in Pretoria.

The photo exhibition, titled Charming Beijing, Passionate Winter Olympics, opened at the National Library of South Africa on Sept 23. It gives South Africans the chance to become acquainted with the Chinese capital.

The 64 photos on display are on silk, and the exhibition has five parts: The Charm of an Ancient Capital; A Modern Metropolis; Cultural Appeal; Passion for Winter Olympics; and Friendly Exchanges.

The photos depict Beijing through landscapes, cultural life and the enthusiasm of locals for their city to host the Winter Olympics in 2022. More than 80 similar exhibitions have been held in 60 cities in about 40 countries over more than a decade.

The organizers of the event, the Beijing Association for Cultural Exchanges and Beijing Review, a news weekly, also donated books about Beijing to the South African National Library.

The Year of China in South Africa, together with the Year of South Africa in China, was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma in 2013.

In addition to photo exhibitions, it includes events such as Beijing opera performances, traditional Chinese puppet shows from Guangdong province and a traditional Chinese paper-cut exhibition.

In conjunction with the Year of China in South Africa, about 30 popular TV drama series and movies focusing on life in modern Beijing, dubbed in English, French and several local languages by the Beijing private media group StarTimes, will be aired until next September through a Chinese channel the company operates in Africa.

TV drama series to be aired include The Young Doctor, The Sweet Burden, Marriage of the Mi Family and The Ordinary World, and movies include Love is Not Blind, Miss Granny, A Wedding Invitation and The Left Ear.

Beijing has more than 3,400 institutions specialized in movie and television production and operation, accounting for about 40 percent of the national total. It produces more than 3,000 episodes of TV dramas and nearly 300 movies every year.

In a letter to Zuma last year when the China Year in South Africa and South Africa Year in China began, Xi said China regards the events as an opportunity to join with South Africa in pushing the relationship between the two countries to new highs.

Since the two established diplomatic ties on January 1, 1998, the relationship has blossomed in many areas.

Mechanisms for political exchange have been extended and reinforced, and business and cultural exchanges have been promoted vigorously.

Trade has risen continuously since 2009, and China is now South Africa's largest trading partner. Last year it was worth, about $24 billion, compared with $22 billion in 2013.

zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn