On December 2, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Turkey, the Turkish national themed book shelf opening ceremony took place at Guangzhou Library, as well as the opening of the “Anatolian Breeze” series of activities.

(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

The Turkish Consulate-General in Guangzhou donated 411 Turkish books to the library, now available at the Multiculture Library on the 8th floor. Meanwhile, it was also the first day of the Ebru Exhibition. Composed of 33 artworks, most of the works on exhibition were specifically made for this event by Assoc. Prof. Hicabi Gulgen, who is a renowned Ebru master in Turkey.

Described as the art of balance, Ebru, a UNESCO-heritage listed art, was primarily used for book covers, calligraphy pieces, panels, and miniatures. Now it is used for many other decorative purposes, such as on wood, silk fabric and plastic.

(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Besides the Ebru exhibition that will be presented for over 1 month, there will also be several other events such as literature talks, an interactive coffee workshop, a panel on Turkish cuisine and Turkish movies screening, also with an introduction to Turkish music.

(Photo/Newsgd.com)

(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Earlier in 2018, Guangzhou Library and Turkish Consulate General in Guangzhou jointly organized the event “China-Turkey: The Union of the Silk Road” to introduce the scenery of the silk road and the charm of the ancient cities of Turkey to the public.

Since Guangzhou Library completely opened to the public in June 2013, the library has become one of Guangzhou’s most popular public cultural institutions and also one of the city’s platforms for cultural exchanges. 

“We hope that through these cultural activities, our readers will have an insight into different cultures of the world. We also hope we can facilitate more cultural exchanges between Guangzhou and its sister cities, and between countries.” Fang Jiazhong, Director of Guangzhou Library, said at the opening ceremony.

“As peer Silk Road countries, we have so much in common. And I do believe that this cooperation we are now making will greatly contribute to our societies and make them closer,”Mehmet Kurtuluş Aykan, Consul General of Turkey in Guangzhou said, adding “our cultures, which are made up of unique traditions, customs, ideas and social behaviors may vary in some occasions, but in the end, we come to see that actually we are ‘one’ and ‘united’.”

Author | Hannah

Editor | Nan, Will, Jerry