On August 29th, the Liwan District of Guangzhou, in collaboration with the Chancheng and Nanhai Districts of Foshan, launched the "Fusion of Chinese and Western: Liwan, Chancheng, Nanhai, and World Exchange and Mutual Learning Exhibition" at the Haitian Corridor in T1 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The exhibition, which is open to the public free of charge, will run until November 30th.

The exhibition uses Liwan, Chancheng, and Nanhai as its focal points to present four themes: "Connected by the Sea," "Shared Goods," "Cultural Exchange," and "Transported by Ships." Through images, texts, and physical exhibits, it unveils the glorious history of Guangdong's foreign trade and cultural exchanges during the Qing Dynasty. The exhibition aims to showcase the profound and unique charm of Chinese culture to the world.

The exhibition also features the "Lingnan Traditional Culture Display Area," the "Xiguan Culinary Culture Display Area," and the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Master Display Area." By blending the characteristics of Xiguan with modern design, these sections vividly showcase the street scenes of Liwan and Cantonese cuisine.

Zhang Rongling, the Director and Associate Researcher at the Guangzhou Liwan Museum and one of the curators of the exhibition, explained that during the thirteen-hongs period, items such as ivory carvings, Canton porcelain, Canton embroidery, Cantonese furniture, and silverware were exported in large quantities by sea and served as mediums for cultural exchange between China and the West. In fact, some of these items are also displayed in museums abroad. This exhibition explores these export goods from the perspective of the fusion of China and the West, hoping that international travelers arriving at T1 of Baiyun Airport will be inspired by the historical and cultural resonance presented through the images and texts.

The exhibition features items such as ivory carvings, Canton embroidery, and wood carvings from Liwan, as well as copper paper cuttings, lion dance, rattan weaving, and Shiwan ceramics from Foshan. It also showcases exquisite crafts from intangible cultural heritage masters in Liwan, Chancheng, and Nanhai through display cases featuring these items.

Among the many works by intangible cultural heritage masters, the Canton embroidery piece "Joy on the Branches" featuring a traditional sliding door ornament is particularly striking. Created by Wang Xinyuan, a city-level inheritor of Canton embroidery and chairman of the Liwan District Youth Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors Association, the work incorporates local cultural elements such as the Xiguan sliding door, lychees, and magpies. The sliding door's wooden slats symbolize rising success, while the magpies represent joy. Wang noted that this is the first time his work has been displayed in an airport arrival hall. He believes that, aside from museums, more exhibition venues are needed for intangible cultural heritage, and the airport arrival hall is a key platform for showcasing these traditional crafts to both domestic and international visitors.

Liwan, Chancheng, and Nanhai share a common origin and are geographically close. This exhibition not only showcases the rich Lingnan culture and Maritime Silk Road heritage but also represents a significant effort by these three districts to collaboratively promote the cultural and tourism industries of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on a global scale. Additionally, it offers both domestic and international visitors an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Lingnan culture.

“荔禅南”三地携手，打造中西文化交流长廊

8月29日，广州市荔湾区携手佛山市禅城区、南海区在广州白云国际机场T1航站楼“海天走廊”推出的“中西交融——荔湾、禅城、南海与世界交流互鉴展”正式开幕。据悉，展览将持续至11月30日，免费向公众开放。

本次展览以荔湾、禅城、南海为窗口，通过“海相连”“物相通”“文相交”“船相载”四个主题，通过图文、实物为市民游客揭开了清代广东对外贸易与文化交流的辉煌历史，向世界展示中华文化的博大精深与独特魅力。

同时，还设有“岭南传统文化展示区”“西关美食文化展示区”“非遗大师文化展示区”，通过西关特色与现代设计的结合，生动展示荔湾街景与广府美食。

广州市荔湾区博物馆馆长 、副研究员章荣玲是本次展览的策展负责人之一，她介绍：“在十三行时期，牙雕、广彩、广绣、广作家具、银器等大批量物品通过海运出口至国外，是当年中西文化交流的媒介。事实上在国外的一些博物馆也展示了上述物品。此次展览从中西交融的角度探讨十三行时期外销品，是希望国外旅客来到白云国际机场T1航站楼到达大厅时，能通过图文勾起历史文化的共鸣。”

来自广州荔湾的牙雕、广绣、木雕，来自佛山的铜纸剪纸、醒狮、藤编、石湾陶瓷……展览还通过橱窗实物展示荔湾、禅城、南海非遗大师的精美工艺品。

在众多非遗大师的作品中，广绣作品《喜上枝头》趟栊门摆件引人注目。该作品出自广绣市级非遗传承人、荔湾区青年非遗传承人协会会长王新元之手。“作品包含了西关大屋趟栊门、荔枝、喜鹊等地道文化元素，趟栊门的一节节木杆寓意节节高升，喜鹊寓意喜上枝头。”王新元表示，他是首次将作品摆放在机场到达大厅展示，正好广绣等非遗需要除了博物馆之外的更多展示窗口，而机场到达大厅是非遗传承人作品展示的重要平台之一，来来往往的国内外游客都能直观看到、感知岭南非遗。

据介绍，荔湾、禅城、南海三地同根同源，地理位置相近，此次展览不仅是岭南文化和海丝文化的精彩呈现，更是三地携手推动粤港澳大湾区文化旅游产业走向全球的重要举措，也为国内外游客提供深入体验岭南文化的机会。

文｜记者 马思泳 通讯员 荔宣
图｜通讯员提供
翻译丨林佳岱
英文审校丨赵凡