The Chinese Cultural Year 2012 kicks off in Germany

On the 40th anniversary of Sino-German diplomatic ties, the Chinese Ministry of Culture is organizing a Chinese Cultural Year 2012 in Germany.

The cultural activities intend to create a new awareness and understanding for modern-day China.

The German partners involved include those working at museums, theaters, city governments and the local media. These new and old commitments can maintain sustainable and long-term partnerships.

The opening ceremony was held on Jan 30 at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, with government representatives attending.

Across Germany, a variety of art exhibitions, concerts and performing arts presentations will take place. China will be the guest of honor at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival and the "China-Time" in Hamburg. The music of contemporary Chinese composers will be performed at the Munich Music Festival.

Partner cities that include Berlin, Hamburg, Duisburg, Cologne and Munich will run programs on their own initiatives including dialog programs and public talks.

A highlight in a series of common projects is the ongoing exhibition, "The Art of the Enlightenment," at the National Museum of China in Beijing. More than 300,000 people have already seen the exhibit since its opening, which is accompanied by forums on a variety of topics centered on the enlightenment theme.

It is co-sponsored by State museums in Berlin, Dresden and Munich along with the National Museum of China.

Other notable events in the arts include solo exhibitions by German artists, HD Schrader and Dieter Jung as well as German participation in group shows such as "Translife" at NAMOC and "Creative Junctions" at the National Museum of China.

In music, a joint project would be the ensemble, "Beijing Contempo," formed through long-term cooperation with the "Ensemble Modern" of Germany and the Beijing Central Conservatory, which receives financial backing from the Siemens Foundation.

The ensemble, consisting of Chinese musicians, debuted at the National Center for Performing Arts in September 2011 and will regularly perform, for example as part of the Chinese Cultural Year in Germany at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

Furthermore, the Chinese enjoyed listening to classical concerts offered by German ensembles and orchestras in 2011, for instance performances by Anne-Sophie Mutter, the Saechsische Staatskapelle Dresden and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

For 2012, the ballets of Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart will perform in Beijing as well as in the theaters of Munich and Hamburg.

In the educational field, an intense academic exchange program has gotten underway. German language support has been provided to 76 middle schools all over China to attract prospective students to German universities.

Nearly 30,000 Chinese students are studying in German universities, making them one of the largest foreign student groups.