'Tea for Harmony': Paris event showcases a poetic Jiangsu

The China Cultural Center in Paris held a special event presenting a poetic Jiangsu to the French public on July 12.

Titled "Tea for Harmony – Yaji Cultural Salon of Jiangsu", the event carefully selected representative intangible cultural heritages from East China's Jiangsu province to present its rich tea culture and to provide a panoramic view of local lifestyles associated with tea.

Yaji, which translates to "elegant gathering", harks back to an ancient type of social event in China where scholars and literati gathered to indulge in a variety of refined cultural activities such as tea tasting, guqin (traditional Chinese zither) playing, and poetry composition and recital.

The Paris event featured activities including tea tasting, demonstrations of tea-making techniques and tea art, displays of Jiangsu's intangible cultural heritages, calligraphy and traditional music performances.

What stole the limelight was a virtual exhibition presented in panoramic way using virtual 3D modeling technology and a 360-degree rotating interface. Featuring 40 exhibits including embroidered silk fabrics, jewelry, musical instruments, costumes for Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, as well as incense utensils, the virtual show recreated traditional lifestyles and home environments from Jiangsu.