STORY: "See Yungang Again" art show performed at China's Yungang Grottoes
DATELINE: June 30, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:01
LOCATION: TAIYUAN, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the art show
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YU BING, Composer and pipa soloist of the performance
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YANG FENGRUI, Costume designer
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CUI XIAOXIA, Director of Cultural and Tourism Integration Development Center of Yungang Research Institute

STORYLINE:

An onsite art show displaying the grandeur and cultural connotation of the Yungang Grottoes took place in Datong City, north China's Shanxi Province, on Wednesday.

Titled "See Yungang Again," the show was prepared by the research institute of the Yungang Grottoes and a group of artists from Shanghai. It combined lighting, costumes, music, and dance to create a stunning fusion of the past and present.

As the composer and pipa soloist of the performance, Yu Bing from the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra contemplated composing a new musical piece inspired by the depiction of musical instruments and musicians found in the Yungang Grottoes since 2022.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YU BING, Composer and pipa soloist of the performance
"In the composing of this music, we not only use the pipa, you can also see that we also use a big drum. The background music is a combination of Chinese and Western music. It isn't purely traditional Chinese music; its melody and tonality carry characteristics of both Chinese and Western musical styles. In the future, we hope that Chinese and Western orchestras can perform this grand concert together, showcasing the inclusive beauty of music."

After more than a year of repeated exploration and experimentation, the artists attempted to present traditional folk percussion music in a contemporary manner that embodies the rich philosophical thoughts of Chinese culture and highlights the artistic connotations of the Yungang Grottoes.

In the costume part, designer Yang Fengrui selected the honeysuckle pattern from the Yungang Grottoes as the fundamental design motif, as well as a color reminiscent of the iconic "Yungang red" to infuse the costumes with a visual representation of the artistic legacy and historical significance.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YANG FENGRUI, Costume designer
"In total, we displayed more than 400 costumes, each with elements of Yungang, which is a huge challenge to me. From the patterns, styles, to the numerous elements and details within, I view this as a tribute to the Yungang Grottoes, a revitalization of world cultural heritage, as well as an opportunity to enable more people worldwide to understand a part of Chinese culture. Therefore, I want to express this through the language of fashion."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CUI XIAOXIA, Director of Cultural and Tourism Integration Development Center of Yungang Research Institute
"In this show, we saw a lot of traditional clothing features of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), showing cultural prosperity and the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures more than 1,500 years ago. Through this innovative method, we implant Yungang cultural elements into modern people's aesthetic taste, hoping to make more people fall in love with our country and culture."

Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring over 50,000 stone Buddhist sculptures in Datong, was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). It is considered a pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art and represents the highest level of sculptural artistry in the world during the 5th century.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Taiyuan, China.
(XHTV)