July 18, 2008	Friday	Rajab 14, 1429

KARACHI, July 17: It is difficult to pick out which of the images displayed at China Showcase, a photographic exhibition inaugurated on Thursday at the Arts Council, best depicts modern China.

Is it the breathtaking shot of yaks grazing in endless, verdant pasture-land? Or perhaps it is the superb image of Shanghai’s Pudong district, with the skyscrapers gleaming in the brilliant, crimson dawn light. And what of the image of young Chinese men and women enjoying a night out in one of Beijing’s watering holes?

Perhaps today’s China is a composite of all these images — and many more — where an ancient tradition is struggling to come to terms with the post-communist reality of free-market capitalism.

Some images bear the distinct whiff of propaganda, though not the brazenly obvious kind with party-types viewing columns of tanks and nuclear-tipped missiles in Tiananmen Square. No sir, the new party is much slicker.

There is a postcard-perfect image of happy couples tying the knot on a section of the Great Wall on a day the caption describes as the ‘third wedding ceremony from all ethnic groups.’ Another photo shows People’s Liberation Army troopers transporting an oxygen cylinder to those in need in a remote area.

Other photographs show the many sides of this vast, ancient land, which is home to various languages, ethnicities and religions.

In one shot a shiny, happy youthful street dance troupe performs a disco dance number, perhaps symbolizing the ‘new China.’ Another interesting shot is of the Baiyun Taoist temple in Beijing: as red and yellow prayer flags flutter in the wind, mascots dressed up in panda and bunny suits greet visitors outside.

A shot of the Three Gorges dam’s floodgates opening is simply marvellous. This is claimed to be the biggest hydroelectric project in the world.

Other photographs show the ethnic diversity in the People’s Republic. Members of the Dong ethnic group are seen celebrating one of their festivals, while ethnic Mongolian children from Xinjiang perform a traditional epic. Perhaps to counter the firestorm of protests China has faced in the run-up to the upcoming Beijing summer Olympic games over its Tibet policy, a pig-tailed Tibetan girl is seen studying texts in her native language.

A line-up of heavily made-up performers of the Beijing Opera offers a glimpse into the traditional cultural life of the Chinese capital, while the shot of a little boy playing with a football in front of a giant hoarding depicting an international footballer hawking a sports brand, is perhaps symbolic of the Middle Kingdom’s newfound love for the free market.

Perhaps most interesting from the Pakistani perspective are the photographs of various Pakistani leaders interacting with their Chinese counterparts. Prominent – for obvious reasons – are pictures of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. But aside from pleasing the party in power, it must be said that it was Mr Bhutto who blazed the trail for a strong Pakistan-China relationship.

The most remarkable photo seems to be of Premier Zhou Enlai and Mr Bhutto warmly shaking each others’ hands in Beijing in 1974. A shot of then vice-premier Deng Xiaoping – widely considered to be the architect of China’s modern economic success – meeting Mr Bhutto at the Beijing airport is also memorable.

A photograph from much later shows Deng – who was by now ‘Paramount Leader’ – meeting Benazir Bhutto. There’s also a shot of Ms Bhutto with Jiang Zemin from 1995, while Nawaz Sharif and company are shown meeting Li Peng and associates in the Great Hall of the People in 1991. A shot from 1995 shows Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani meeting a Chinese dignitary in his former capacity as speaker of the National Assembly.

Interestingly, there is only one photo of President Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, seen inaugurating a project – perhaps in Gwadar – with lower-level Chinese officials.

China Showcase, organized by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in collaboration with the information office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and the Arts Council, will run till July 24.—QAM