"In ancient times, our ancestors once brought back exquisite silk and porcelain from Chang'an, capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Kyrgyzstan has a long-standing cultural relationship with China," Kanykei, a Kyrgyz freshman of the South China University of Technology, recorded in her Guangdong Museum travel vlog.
Kanykei's video is featured in an entry of the event "My Guangdong Story" Global Solicitation for Short Videos, titled "沉浸式观展｜吉尔吉斯斯坦艺术女感受两国深厚的文化渊源 (Immersive Exhibition | Kyrgyz girl explores the culture between China and Kyrgyzstan)".
Kanykei and her friend roamed around the Guangdong Museum to admire the fine collections, such as Chinese calligraphy and paintings, porcelain, and Chaozhou woodcarving. They filmed the whole process into several short videos and kindly introduced the tourist services and exhibition area layout to audiences at home and abroad.
Kanykei explained Kyrgyzstan once was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. Over 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian, a diplomat of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), traveled far to the Western Regions and arrived at ancient Suyab (碎叶城), an important town of the Tang Dynasty. Suyab was located to the east of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Since then, Kyrgyz people began to trudge over thousands of miles to Chang'an. They not only brought back exquisite silk and porcelain, but also gained a cordial and loving friendship.
In the video, Kanykei expressed that although she has only been in Guangzhou for two months, the antiques in the museum make her feel very familiar and remind her of her hometown. Guangdong Museum, from her perspective, is a good place to quickly understand Lingnan region, as well as a glimpse into the long history of cultural exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan. These precious cultural relics had carried a civilization that has lasted for thousands of years to her hometown, and jointly outline a picture of cultural exchanges between the two countries.
"The Chinese poet Li Bai is also well-known in Kyrgyzstan, for he is generally considered to hail from Suyab," Kanykei added. Such a common cultural background undoubtedly makes Kanykei feel more intimate to Chinese culture.
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About "My Guangdong Story" event
"My Guangdong Story" event is still in full swing and the submission deadline is October 15. Winners and nominees of some outstanding videos will be awarded prizes of between 2,000 to 10,000 RMB each. You can record your most impressive experiences, memories, or stories with Guangdong, and log in to the official webpage (https://www.newsgd.com/mygdstory) to submit.
Author: Ariel
Editor: Wing, Steven, Monica, Jerry
