China Dream embodies Chinese people’s best expectations for the future, and it demands both national joint efforts and the world’s recognition to make this beautiful dream come true. Therefore the profound and magnificent Chinese culture has undoubtedly become the best way of presentation in the global arena. Along with CFLAC delegation and Chinese Folk Art Ensemble in Chinese Folk Culture Week in USA, we have proved again that folk culture not only demonstrates distinct feature of national culture but also provides the best interpretation of national spirits and image. China’s high-speed economic development and the rapid increase of international influence have raised the question how we can promote Chinese culture abroad and showcase our soft-power in the world’s stage.
In Crow Collection of Asian Art, we have witnessed that Chinese folk art has gained popularity among American people as well as acclamation and fascination from American top personnel from mayors and congressmen to celebrities from art circles. Like a whistling arrow, this folk art tour in USA has definitely uttered a resonant voice of Chinese folk culture on this international cultural stage.
Currently, the investment and trade from Chinese enterprises in Texas State, to which Dallas belongs, have accounted for 83 percent of theirs in the whole USA while cultural investment and input are hardly seen. Besides in accordance with the overall strategy of overseas promotion and input of Chinese culture, this pioneering excursion of Chinese folk art has exactly met the strong demand for Chinese culture from American side. Dallas, a city with rising cultural industry yet without cultural resources, has become an important destination in Chinese cultural overseas promotion in USA. In comparison with Dallas, we have an obvious advantage—abundant cultural contents that have survived from ancient times till contemporary period and could be easily found at all levels of society as a necessary part of ordinary people’s life. In the process of promoting cultural development and prosperity, we must have vision of modern top culture and international culture. During the cultural exchange, we are supposed to preserve our priceless tradition and keep abreast of the mainstream of the world culture development. In that case, we are able to present our own culture with Chinese character, style and charm at the global arena. Such confidence and courage is indispensable in administration of every city in China.
To occupy a certain position in the world art arena, we must strengthen the comprehensive power and international competitiveness of national culture by every possible means, and promote Chinese culture abroad onto the global stage in a more active way. Before foreign audience’s eyes, we will show them a time-honored, developing, open and elegant China as a complete national image. While safeguarding cultural diversity of human beings, Chinese culture will make its new contributions to promoting exchange, learning and harmonious coexistence between different civilizations and between the countries with varied social systems and development approaches.
(The author is Vice President of China Folk Literary and Art Association)
