A grand opening ceremony of the Cultural Festival of the Ming Tomb as a World Heritage in Nanjing in 2010

Today, a grand opening ceremony of the Cultural Festival of the Ming Tomb as a World Heritage in Nanjing in 2010 was held at Jinshui Bridge in the Ming Tomb. At this opening ceremony, “A huge Chinese dragon” “soared” in a dignified fashion. At the foot of Zhongshan Mountain reputed as “An imperial mountain”, the host expressed its good wishes toward the protection and inheritance of the cultural heritages in the world and the traditional culture of China in an innovative form of “Soaring dragon”. On the day of this opening ceremony, a new book entitled Anecdotes about Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty) was launched for the first time, and an activity was carried out in which ten thousand people signed their names to apply for “A natural and cultural heritage in the world” on behalf of “Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province”.
During this cultural festival, the Administration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum prepared a wonderful cultural activity for various citizens and tourists. On every weekend, a cultural and artistic performance entitled “Welcoming guests of World Expo; displaying the elegant demeanor of Nanjing” is held on the square of the Museum of the Ming Tomb, during which folk and traditional programs of art, including the Baiju play of Nanjing, Zhezixi of Kunqu Opera and Liuzuo Big Drum are put on. Organized by a summer camp entitled A Classical Journey to the Ming Culture of Nanjing, students from elementary and high schools will pay a visit to and get to know the relics of the culture of the Ming Dynasty in Nanjing, as well as receive the education of traditional culture. At the exhibition of the present and the past photos of the Ming Tomb entitled “The Ming Tomb Enveloped amid Misty Hills” held along the road from Jinshui Bridge to Wenwufang Gate at the Ming Tomb, the important results of the protection of the cultural relics at the Ming Tomb achieved in recent years will be displayed through the contrast between new and old photos of the Ming Tomb. Some citizens who have not yet visited the World Expo in Shanghai can visit the exhibition of the original results of the Pavilion of Jiangsu Province in the World Expo in Shanghai entitled “Picturesque Jiangsu Province, as a Desirable Homestead” at the Museum of the Ming Tomb, at which the process of original design of the Pavilion of Jiangsu Province will be displayed. The enigma about the traces of emperor Jianwen in the Ming Dynasty has a history of more than 600 years. “The Exhibition of Pictures about the Traces of Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty” will be also held at the Museum of the Ming Tomb, at which Mao Peiqi (a professor of Renmin University of China) will narrate to citizens “A historical enigma difficult for historians of various schools to tackle----stories about the traces of emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty having been circulated for 600 years” as a guest invited for “The lecture for citizens”. In addition, “An International Academic Seminar on the Traces of Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty” will be held. Shang Chuan, the main lecturer of “Lecture Room? Great Emperor Yongle”, and the president of Chinese Academy of the History of the Ming Dynasty will also attend this seminar. In the meantime, some interactive activities of culture will also be carried out, including “A quiz with prizes about the Ming Tomb as a cultural heritage in the world” and the collection of photographical works through Internet with prizes entitled “The Ming Tomb in Memory”.
At the opening ceremony, 13 institutions of relics and museums and inheritors of folk culture, including The Museum of the Ming Tomb, Nanjing Museum, The Museum of the History of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty, The Museum of the Relics of Chinese Modern History, the inheritors of the technology of sutra printing of Nanjing, the inheritors of the weaving handcraft of wooden loom Zhuang Hua of Nanjing Brocade, and the inheritors of Baiju (a local play of Nanjing) will co-sign “The Proclamation of the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritages in Nanjing”.

This cultural festival will last for one month, during which the ticket price of the Scenic Area of the Ming Tomb will remain unchanged: 70 yuan/person. The Museum of the Ming Tomb will be open to the public free of charge. The preferential ticket price of the 360° circular-screen movie in the museum is 20 yuan/person.