Successful Exhibition Showcases Yunnan's Architectural Traditions at Asian Fusion Gallery in Washington, DC, During AAPI Heritage Month
Fields of Being: Architecture Traditions in Yunnan, China: Successful Exhibition Showcases Yunnan's Architectural Traditions at Asian Fusion Gallery.
Washington, DC, June 06, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Contemporary Gallery Kunming, a leading advocate for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) culture, is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the exhibition "Fields of Being: Architecture Traditions in Yunnan, China" held at the Asian Fusion Gallery in Washington, DC from May 13 to 21, 2023.
"Fields of Being" captivated visitors with its exploration of the diverse and culturally rich architectural heritage of Yunnan Province in China. This exhibition showcased the extensive research conducted by esteemed architectural scholars, highlighting heritage architecture, anthropology, and living architectural traditions. It presented captivating surveys, intricate models, and breathtaking photographs that brought the region's architectural wonders to life.
Yunnan Province, situated at the crossroads of China, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, boasts a remarkable blend of architectural styles and techniques. The province's steep mountains and deep valleys have fostered a tapestry of architectural diversity, where each valley showcases unique design elements. From the tropical stilted houses found across Southeast Asia to the exquisite timber frame structures of the Himalayan foothills, Yunnan exemplifies Asia's living architectural museum. "Fields of Being'' celebrated this heritage while exploring how a new generation of architects incorporates this legacy into contemporary designs.
One of the exhibition's highlights was the presentation of the China Folk House Retreat, a farmhouse from the Tibetan region of Cizhong in northwest Yunnan. This remarkable structure was meticulously dismantled and relocated to Harper's Ferry, serving as a center for cultural exchange and education.
On Sunday, May 14, the China Folk House Retreat and their friends welcomed a group of visitors from Yunnan Province. The China Folk House Retreat is a traditional timber-framed farm house from southwest China that was transplanted to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, to serve as a platform for learning and exchange.
The guests on Sunday included representatives from the Kunming University of Science and Technology Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning (KUST), Contemporary Gallery Kunming (CGK), and the Chinese Embassy to the United States. They came bearing a donation of traditional roof tiles from China, which will cap off construction of the Folk House. The groups had come to the Washington area for the exhibition "Fields of Being: Traditions of Architecture in Yunnan, China," jointly organized by KUST, CGK, and the China Folk House Retreat. The exhibition presents the incredible architectural variety of China's most diverse province.
The delegations were first led on a tour through the historic town of Harpers Ferry and a timber frame pavilion constructed by the West Virginia Timber Framers Guild, where they discussed the culture of timber framing and folkways that connect Yunnan and West Virginia. The delegations then visited the China Folk House, a house saved from dam construction in Northwest Yunnan and reassembled in West Virginia to serve as a bridge of peace and friendship between the United States and China.
At the China Folk House site, the Chinese visitors joined other "Friends of the Folk House" to participate in a tile donation ceremony honoring KUST's gift of Yunnan roof tiles and CGK's gift of an exhibit on traditional Yunnan architecture to the China Folk House. Consul-General Jing Quan from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Vice President of KUST Zhou Fengyue, China Folk House Director John Flower, and a representative from the West Virginia Timber Framers Guild made remarks to celebrate the collaboration between the groups involved and the continuation of friendship between people from the United States and China. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a barbecue and performance of local folk music, a tour of the China Folk House, and a tree planting celebration in the China Folk House's US-China Friendship Garden.
Events held in conjunction with the exhibition included an Architecture Forum titled "Ways of Being" - exploring the interplay between tradition and modernity in Chinese architecture, an Opening Ceremony and Reception, a thought-provoking film screening and discussion of "The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic's Chinese Passengers" with filmmaker Steven Schwankert, and guided visits of the exhibition by co-curator Jeff Crosby.
To view captivating images from the exhibition, please visit the following links:
Opening Ceremony, May 13
CFHR Tile Donation Ceremony May 14
Film Screening: The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic’s Chinese Passengers May 29
(photo credit: The Interstellar Studio)
For more information, please contact: Jeff Crosby, Deputy Director, Contemporary Gallery Kunming - 720-671-4450 or email jeff.crosby@cgkunming.org
Note: High-resolution images are available upon request.
Please ensure to credit the photographers as indicated in the photo links.
"Fields of Being" captivated visitors with its exploration of the diverse and culturally rich architectural heritage of Yunnan Province in China. This exhibition showcased the extensive research conducted by esteemed architectural scholars, highlighting heritage architecture, anthropology, and living architectural traditions. It presented captivating surveys, intricate models, and breathtaking photographs that brought the region's architectural wonders to life.
Yunnan Province, situated at the crossroads of China, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, boasts a remarkable blend of architectural styles and techniques. The province's steep mountains and deep valleys have fostered a tapestry of architectural diversity, where each valley showcases unique design elements. From the tropical stilted houses found across Southeast Asia to the exquisite timber frame structures of the Himalayan foothills, Yunnan exemplifies Asia's living architectural museum. "Fields of Being'' celebrated this heritage while exploring how a new generation of architects incorporates this legacy into contemporary designs.
One of the exhibition's highlights was the presentation of the China Folk House Retreat, a farmhouse from the Tibetan region of Cizhong in northwest Yunnan. This remarkable structure was meticulously dismantled and relocated to Harper's Ferry, serving as a center for cultural exchange and education.
On Sunday, May 14, the China Folk House Retreat and their friends welcomed a group of visitors from Yunnan Province. The China Folk House Retreat is a traditional timber-framed farm house from southwest China that was transplanted to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, to serve as a platform for learning and exchange.
The guests on Sunday included representatives from the Kunming University of Science and Technology Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning (KUST), Contemporary Gallery Kunming (CGK), and the Chinese Embassy to the United States. They came bearing a donation of traditional roof tiles from China, which will cap off construction of the Folk House. The groups had come to the Washington area for the exhibition "Fields of Being: Traditions of Architecture in Yunnan, China," jointly organized by KUST, CGK, and the China Folk House Retreat. The exhibition presents the incredible architectural variety of China's most diverse province.
The delegations were first led on a tour through the historic town of Harpers Ferry and a timber frame pavilion constructed by the West Virginia Timber Framers Guild, where they discussed the culture of timber framing and folkways that connect Yunnan and West Virginia. The delegations then visited the China Folk House, a house saved from dam construction in Northwest Yunnan and reassembled in West Virginia to serve as a bridge of peace and friendship between the United States and China.
At the China Folk House site, the Chinese visitors joined other "Friends of the Folk House" to participate in a tile donation ceremony honoring KUST's gift of Yunnan roof tiles and CGK's gift of an exhibit on traditional Yunnan architecture to the China Folk House. Consul-General Jing Quan from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Vice President of KUST Zhou Fengyue, China Folk House Director John Flower, and a representative from the West Virginia Timber Framers Guild made remarks to celebrate the collaboration between the groups involved and the continuation of friendship between people from the United States and China. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a barbecue and performance of local folk music, a tour of the China Folk House, and a tree planting celebration in the China Folk House's US-China Friendship Garden.
Events held in conjunction with the exhibition included an Architecture Forum titled "Ways of Being" - exploring the interplay between tradition and modernity in Chinese architecture, an Opening Ceremony and Reception, a thought-provoking film screening and discussion of "The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic's Chinese Passengers" with filmmaker Steven Schwankert, and guided visits of the exhibition by co-curator Jeff Crosby.
To view captivating images from the exhibition, please visit the following links:
Opening Ceremony, May 13
CFHR Tile Donation Ceremony May 14
Film Screening: The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic’s Chinese Passengers May 29
(photo credit: The Interstellar Studio)
For more information, please contact: Jeff Crosby, Deputy Director, Contemporary Gallery Kunming - 720-671-4450 or email jeff.crosby@cgkunming.org
Note: High-resolution images are available upon request.
Please ensure to credit the photographers as indicated in the photo links.
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Ro Clarke
202-905-5784
202-905-5784
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