I’ve always dreamt of visiting China to understand and immerse myself with the Chinese culture of our past. Luckily, I had a glimpse of it with The Enchanting Orient which is presented by Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur, with support by Han Culture Centre Malaysia. This is the first time the exhibition is held in Kuala Lumpur. Be prepared to be dazzled by the debut of an event that fuses ancient Chinese art and culture with contemporary style and glamour set in modern-day Malaysia.
The Enchanting Orient promises to be a voyage of discovery, giving guests and public visitors an insightful modern look at Chinese culture. Highlights of the event include:
- An 18M long world renowned depiction scenic masterpiece, dotted with elaborate miniature dough figurines
- A special exhibition of over 20 scenic Chinese ink artworks from Professor Cheah Thien Soong’s Lotus series and his collection of precious porcelain.
- Tea appreciation sessions
- Private screenings of epic movies of the 70’s, set against a backdrop of authentic cinema houses.
Our first tour of The Enchanting Orient begins with the rare display of dough art figurines that replicates the delicate beauty of Qing Ming Shang He Tu, a 12th century silk scroll painting that is one of Beijing’s Palace Museum best-known and greatly-prized artwork.
The beautifully crafted miniature dough figurines showcase Bianliang’s lifestyle from a bygone era. We were spellbound by the intricate workmanship and impressed with the synergy of creativity shown.
Moving on, we had the opportunity to meet with renowned local calligrapher, Professor Cheah Thien Soong who is exhibiting a “Lotus Series” of his prized collection of precious porcelains and paintings.
Are you aware that Lotus is a symbol of harmony and purity? I was quite mesmerised with the delicate beauty myriad of painting and porcelain objects of arts.
Next, we headed off to an appreciation of Chinese Tea culture hosted by Mr. Wong Cheng Fui of Cha-No-Yu, one of Malaysia’s biggest collectors and connoisseur of teas from Yunnan.
The finale of the tour was definitely the private screening showcasing epic 70’s movie- set against a authentic cinema houses- paying tribute to Ms Hsu Feng, an iconic multi-award winner and legendary former actress, for her many contributions to Asian cinematography. To our surprise, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was also there to support the event.
It was a memorable experience for me to learn more about the Chinese culture thru The Enchanting Orient exhibition. For reference, below are the events happening from 10am – 6pm at Starhill Gallery:
- Qing Ming Shang He Tu (miniature dough figurines) display: 7th – 17th July
- Professor Cheah Thien Soong’s Lotus Series of previous porcelains and paintings: 7th – 24th July
Do make a visit to The Enchanting Orient as it’s an event not to be missed. For more information, kindly call 03 – 2782 3800 or visit Starhill Gallery Website today!