PCAH
Chairman Serves as Host for Chinese Minister of Culture
Last June the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)
and Chairman Adair Margo made an historic visit to the People’s
Republic of China. The dialogue and relationships begun there sparked
a recent visit to the United States by Sun Jiazheng, China's minister
of culture. He participated in PCAH’s Coming Up Taller ceremony
at the White House on 28 January which made its first award to a Chinese
youth arts and humanities group from Shanghai, the Little Companion Theatre
Company. Following the ceremony, Chairman Margo and Dr. James Billington,
Librarian of Congress, served as co-hosts for a luncheon in honor of Minister
Sun.
People’s Republic of China Minister of China
Sun Jiazheng (center) visited El Paso, Texas with PCAH Chairman Adair
Margo as part of PCAH’s cultural diplomacy efforts.
Dr. Billington remarked to the guests that the Library of
Congress holds one of the largest collections of Chinese print materials
outside China, having received ten works in 933 volumes from Emperor Tongzhi
in 1869 as part of an exchange authorized by the Congress. He added that
the discussions in China last summer were very fruitful, and he was looking
forward to further collaboration on making cultural resources accessible
to broader audiences through digital technology.
Minister Sun thanked his hosts, presenting Dr. Billington with an ancient
Chinese book that had been reproduced with the latest technology as a
facsimile of the original. As a poet, the minister shares with Chairman
Margo and Dr. Billington a passion for books. And it was a book that was
in part the impetus for the Minister Sun’s subsequent visit to Texas.
During her visit to China last summer, Chairman Margo presented Minister
Sun with parting gift of a rare Saddle Blanket Edition of the King Ranch
written and illustrated by Texas author Tom Lea.
“Tom Lea’s writings and paintings were largely inspired by
his deep love for and connection to our shared hometown of El Paso, Texas.
I believe by sharing what we love draws us closer together, and artists
such Tom Lea can help others understand our country and its culture,”
said Margo.
Minister Sun expressed his wish that he wanted to see more of the U.S.
having only been to New York City and Washington, DC and Chairman Margo’s
response, “I took that to heart, so when we returned from our trip,
we started to put our heads together. We had already invited him to the
Coming Up Taller Awards, but then we decided to extend the invitation
to Texas.”
She accompanied Minister Sun to the King Ranch outside Corpus Christa
and then on El Paso where he gave a presentation to some 400 people at
the El Paso Museum of Art. To the crowd at the museum he reported favorably
on his visit saying “El Paso is a city of friendship and harmony
and it's also full of art. I see the cultural diversity here, with very
distinctive features of Mexico's influence.”
The PCAH will pursue more opportunities in the coming year to broaden
cultural ties with China, beginning with an delegation to China in the
summer.
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