‘Beijing in Snow’, a thought provoking photo exhibition presenting China’s capital during the wintery season, was held between the 5th and 7th July at Caxton House, home of the Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine (CITCM). The exhibition was co-hosted by CITCM, The Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Country and the Beijing Photography’s Society.
The purpose of this exhibition was to help Londoners win a better understanding of Beijing and to raise awareness of topics including the convergence of nature, society and past events, and the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which will make Beijing the first city in history to host both the summer and the winter Olympic Games.
The photo exhibition was launched with a private viewing on the 5th July. At the beginning of the launch event speeches were made by Professor David Phoenix (LSBU’s Vice-chancellor), Mr Li Chijiang (Deputy Director of Press and Communications at the Chinese Embassy in London) and Mr Aihua Guo (Director of the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries). The speakers touched upon the importance of bridging the gap between China and the UK, an issue which is particularly important now as we enter the ‘Golden-era’ of China-UK relations. Following the speeches guests spent time contemplating the various messages which were silently narrated by the photos.
On the 6th and 7th July the exhibition was opened to the public. Viewers expressed great interest and admiration, with one guest commenting “I have been to Beijing several times but the photos present a side of the city that I had never quite captured myself. It is interesting to see a city from the point of view of a photographer who can extract information in such great detail– this detail can help to provide a greater understanding of Beijing city.”
CITCM is very grateful to the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Beijing Photographers’ Association for their admirable work, without which this exhibition would not have been possible.