In Tehran, the capital of Iran, Malik National Museum is set in full view of autumn leaves, the Persian style dome carved beams and painted rafters, and tourists with different styles of clothing walk through it for the same purpose.
The “Silk Road Long Cloud – Chinese Art and Culture Boutique Exhibition” recently opened at the Malick National Museum, showcasing a series of cultural exchange achievements of the China Iran Silk Road.
Entering the exhibition hall, two huge oil paintings on canvas hanging on the left side, “Silk Road – Impression of Kucha,” jumped into view. Creator Zhu Jiefeng introduced that oil paintings use clay and sand to recreate the texture of Kucha and memories of the Silk Road, decorated with Kucha murals and Tuhuoluo characters. Zhu Jiefeng said that transporting exhibits is like walking the ancient Silk Road again, and jointly arranging exhibitions with Iran is a rare collaborative creative experience. “I hope that the friendship between China and Iran will also move forward hand in hand like our joint cooperation.
For this event, the Malik National Museum has specially renovated the relevant exhibition halls. The walls of the exhibition hall have been repainted with ‘Chinese Red’, allowing us to feel the professionalism and dedication of the Malick National Museum, “said Hu Muqing, chairman of the Shanghai Art Museum, one of the organizers, to reporters.
Hu Muqing said that this exhibition is a cultural exchange achievement and research exhibition of the “the Belt and Road”, and its success also benefits from the rich collection of Malik National Museum. He introduced that the exhibition includes precious historical materials such as recorded manuscripts about China in Iranian history, as well as collections of ancient Chinese coins related to cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, all of which bear witness to the history of cultural exchanges between Iran and China.
The process of collecting, organizing, interpreting, and exhibiting these materials was very arduous, “said Hu Muqing. In order to participate in this exchange exhibition, the Chinese and Iranian teams overcame many difficulties. The exhibition was ultimately presented to every visitor, with “paintings and objects, old artists and the younger generation, Persian culture and Chinese culture, all harmoniously contrasting and complementing each other in the exhibition hall.
Ewazzad, the Iranian film and drama director and writer who came to the exhibition, told reporters that the exhibition showed that the Iranian people and the Chinese people had a very good relationship long ago, and that Persia and China also had many similarities in poetry and traditional images.
Iranian film and drama actor and cameraman Masoud NikGailib said that the artworks exhibited this time give him a sense of cultural closeness, conveying the concepts of respecting the elderly, caring for families, and valuing nature.
In recent years, cultural exchanges between China and Iran have been flourishing. Cultural exchange activities such as the “Iranian Fine Painting Art Exhibition” and the “Chinese Arts and Crafts Boutique Exhibition” have come in a continuous stream. The “Silk Road Long Cloud” exhibition presents Iranian audiences with a Silk Road cultural feast that connects ancient and modern times and crosses national borders. It is not only a tribute to the glorious history of the Silk Road, but also a witness and continuation of the profound cultural integration between China and Iran.
We plan to compile a monograph on Iranian cultural tourism and further collaborate on research projects with multiple national museums and libraries in Iran, “said Hu Muqing.
Jebral Nokand, the director of the National Museum of Iran, said, “The level of museums in China is very high, and we have good cooperation with colleagues from all over the world, including the National Museum of Iran, in the field of museums. Last year, staff from 20 Iranian museums received training in museum management in Beijing
Nocande believes that there is ample room for cooperation between Iran and China in the field of museums, and hopes that both sides can further strengthen cultural exchanges and people to people exchanges.