Bring the bling

Bazaar Jewelry's High Jewelry Annual Award was recently presented in Beijing. Hong Kong's Wallace Chan (pictured) was awarded "modern jewelry artist of the year", and Shaun Leane from Britain won "the international jewelry artist of the year". The event, organized by the country's professional jewelry magazine Bazaar Jewelry, attracted celebrities, including Chen Hong, Liu Kaiwei and Zhang Zilin. It aims to promote Chinese jewelry brands and designers. Zhaoyi, a local brand that specializes in jade jewelry, exhibited its latest collections. Liu Fei, who designed the trophy, was also present.

Film makes forum

Woman director Quan Ling's first feature film, Forgetting to Know You, has officially made the forum program of the 43rd Berlin Film Festival, which will open on Feb 7 and last for 11 days. Quan's film centers on a couple's reflections upon their relationship in the face of social changes. The writer-turned-director is a beneficiary of renowned director Jia Zhangke's Add Wings project to help young talent. Several young directors have been aided by the project, such as Han Jie, whose Hello Mr Tree won the Prize of Jury at the Shanghai Film Festival in 2011. This year's Berlinale's Forum will show 41 films, 22 of which will have their world premieres.

Charity auction

Director Gao Xixi presented props of his television drama Legend of Chu and Han on auction for a charity project. The auction of 52 pieces of garments and musical instruments collected 2.13 million yuan ($342,000) on Jan 20. The top lot is a duplicate set of bianzhong (pictured), or ancient bells that fetched 550,000 yuan. The proceeds will go to China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation's project for mothers suffering from poverty. Gao's epic premiered on Anhui Satellite TV on Dec 28, costing 240 million yuan to depict the battle between two warlords Liu Bang and Xiang Yu more than 2,000 years ago.

Mindu culture

Dozens of historians, scholars and government officials gathered in Beijing on Jan 20 to join the second Mindu Culture Forum. They discussed the history and culture of Mindu in Fuzhou, Fujian province's capital, and its active role in China's economy development and modernization. "Fuzhou plays a special role in bringing Western culture to China because of its convenient marine transportation. It also boasts many overseas Chinese, who are indispensable in Mindu culture," says Wu Li, deputy director of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He says the diversity in Chinese culture is influenced by natural causes and geographical differences, such as nomadic culture and Mindu culture.

China Daily

(China Daily 01/24/2013 page20)