Two clay sculptures made by folk artisans at the First Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair attract the attention of a young visitor. (China Daily/Wei Xiaohao) |
Tradition and culture were the main attractions recently at the ancient city of Taiyuan. Chen Liang and Sun Ruisheng tell us which were the main acts.
There were contemporary dancers and pop singers performing onstage. Opera artistes were showing off their exquisite make-up and costumes. Musicians attracted crowds with their skill on traditional instruments, such as the pipa and erhu.
In spite of the clamor caused by these shows and their audiences, there were also craftsmen concentrating on making paper-cuts, New Year woodblock prints, or paper-making for Chinese painting and calligraphy, stitching soles of handmade cloth shoes, embroidering, building "toy bricks" (miniature wooden bracket sets of the Song Dynasty (967-1279) style), and even brewing vinegar — all at the same place.
This was the First Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair held at the Coal Trade Center in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, from June 29 to July 3.
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