CHONGQING, June 28 (Xinhua) — Against the backdrop of the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, the imposing silhouette of conventional Chinese-style buildings tells a story of a time passed by.
The buildings, nestled between mountains and rivers, home the Southward Relocation of Forbidden City’s Artifacts Memorial. With its identify echoing China’s former imperial palace in Beijing, the memorial is a monument to a wartime endeavor that noticed the relocation of imperial treasures.
During the latest Dragon Boat Festival, the memorial attracted nationwide guests. Zhou Yueming, a Beijing vacationer, was delighted by the memorial’s providing of intangible cultural heritage actions, together with hand-weaving candy wormwood and making dragon boat sachets.
“It is meaningful and fun to experience these activities in a place with such historical depth,” Zhou stated.
Many guests, together with Zhou, are perplexed by the memorial’s identify, particularly as Chongqing lies some 1,800 km from the previous palace within the Chinese capital. The historical past behind its moniker of “Forbidden City,” or extensively often called Palace Museum right now, traces again to the wartime story of transferring artifacts within the royal palace southwards.
Over 80 years in the past, amid the warfare of resistance in opposition to Japanese aggression, 9,338 crates of cultural relics have been transported throughout mountains and rivers to Chongqing. Once within the metropolis, these treasures discovered refuge in varied overseas companies, equivalent to Anderson & Co. Ltd., the place 3,694 crates have been saved.
Anderson & Co. Ltd. was established in 1891 by Swedish businessman Anderson, primarily dealing in native specialties and overseas items.
“Assets of Swedish businessmen and citizens were less susceptible to wartime destruction as Sweden stood neutral during World War II,” stated Yu Yun, head of the cultural administration workplace of Chongqing’s Nan’an District.
To make sure the relics’ security, Anderson vacated the warehouse whereas every crate was meticulously inspected, recorded, and saved. In the occasion of air raids, the Swedish flag could be laid on the roof to safe their security.
Today, the unique Anderson & Co. Ltd. space homes eight standalone buildings, combining historic structure and conventional stylistic options. The native authorities has revitalized the world, retaining authentic constructions whereas giving it a contemporary facelift.
The historical past and tradition that outline these constructions are blended with the fashionable inventive business, as booming companies entice guests in pursuit of a style of the previous.
In a restaurant nestled inside this historic architectural cluster, many younger guests savor “Corner Tower Coffee,” a cup of espresso adorned with motifs of the Palace Museum. A fusion of outdated and new parts creates a dialogue between the previous and the current.
“The memorial gives people an opportunity to learn about the southern relocation of national treasures,” stated Li Yuan, a vacationer. “Savoring coffee with elements of the Palace Museum in a historical setting just makes the experience all the more captivating.”
The memorial formally opened on June 11, 2021. Today, it features a classroom, a bookshop, and a publish workplace, all themed on the relics’ relocation historical past. It additionally hosts a wide range of actions, equivalent to analysis courses, artwork training programs, and intangible heritage expertise classes.
“Chongqing was a significant node in the relocation of the Palace Museum artifacts, and now this history is entering people’s everyday lives,” stated Shan Jixiang, former curator of the Palace Museum.