ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: China’s ancient culture has always fascinated people around the world with its unique traditions. The people of Islamabad are fortunate as a week long show of the various facets of this colourful culture has been arranged at the National Art Gallery in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy under its China Cultural Week programme.

NAG had a houseful on the opening of the Week on Friday evening. Visitors thronged stalls where the tea drinking ceremony was in demonstration and guests were being treated to hot cups of the traditional brew. Next to the tea ceremonial were the arts of shadow boxing, calligraphy, tying knots and cooking. Tea making and drinking promotes habits of social communion.

Chinese women dressed in traditional attire showed the elaborate steps of tea making which makes the simple act of tea drinking into a ritual practice.

Another stall introduced guests to the art of Chinese calligraphy where artists wrote names of the guests in Chinese characters.

Some of the guests even tried their hand on Chinese calligraphy with the help of the artistes and wrote their own names in the Chinese script.

A separate corner gave away souvenirs, books on Chinese musical instruments and cuisine.

Accompanied by music, a female martial artist demonstrated moves of shadow boxing with excellent precision pulling crowds gathered at other stalls.

The most fascinating, without doubt for many, was the photographic exhibition that captured the sights and sound of the unparalleled splendour of the 30th Parallel – running from west to east, traversing regions of incomparable natural beauty, encompassing virtually every type of geography with the exception of deserts.

The photographs included impressions of Mount Emei’s Golden Summit- home to some 30 temples and 3,000 meters above sea level, Mountain is Buddha, Buddha is Mountain – a giant Buddha carved directly into the face of the mountain overlooking the river that took 90 years to complete.

The display also included the Golden Canal 581-618 AD, images of visitors from the Jurassic period, the ancient Chinese ethnic group – the people of the clouds, the ancient towns along the length of the Changjiang River valley tucked between green mountains and blue waters, Shanghai reinvented, charms of the riverside life, people and their environments, land of snow and ice, the celestial Yaluzanglon River, Panda habitat, and so many other enchanting landscapes.

Speaking on the occasion the Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhao Hui said that the event was one of the many cultural outreaches that the embassy supported.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was the chief guest at the opening ceremony.