A WINDOW to Chinese culture will be opened to Orange’s youth when Chinese artists, martial artists and tai chi instructors show off their crafts during the 2015 Orange Youth Arts Festival.
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Chi Yulong, who also goes by the name of John, is working with festival director and The Canobolas Rural Technology High School community liaison and partnerships officer Vince Lovecchio to bring a delegation of artists, martial artists and tai chi instructors to Orange for the festival in October.
Mr Chi is well established in the north eastern Chinese city of Tianjin’s arts and sports scenes, and said he had already confirmed five people would be coming to Orange, with more waiting on their visas to be approved.
Mr Chi fell in love with Orange and its surrounding countryside when he was an exchange student at the former Orange Agriculture College (now Charles Sturt University Orange campus) in 1999.
He said it was important for Australians and Chinese to develop cultural understanding so they could work together in the future.
“I think it’s important for communication between cultures. I love yours and I hope to bring Chinese elements and you enjoy it too,” Mr Chi said.
“We are different countries, different cultures, and if people enjoy together, maybe they can work together.”
An exhibition of 50 to 100 Chinese painting, calligraphy, needlework, stone carvings and clay figurines will be on show during the festival, which spans from October 9 to 18, and the Chinese delegates will host demonstrations, workshops and performances in their chosen fields.
Mr Lovecchio said the festival, which is hosted by Canobolas High, will help establish and nurture a partnership between Orange and the Tianjin artist group that he said could open up a raft of opportunities, including student exchanges and tourism.
