Yang Mei

yangmei_szdaily@163.com

SHENZHEN, in some people’s eyes, used to be a cultural desert with little cultural edification or artistic nourishment. However, this has long since become history and the “desert” has turned into a cultural oasis which sees an array of quality events on offer each year, providing opportunities for local residents to participate in the cultural energy and vibrancy of the city.

With so many options, there’s just one problem — Where to begin? The Shenzhen City Culture Menu, which was unveiled Tuesday, may offer you an answer.

The menu comprises 28 events covering art, science and technology, leisure and sports. They are international- or national-level in terms of quality, but are very affordable and easily accessible for residents thanks to subsidies provided by the government.

For example, events like Shenzhen Design Week, Shenzhen Reading Month and Shenzhen Creative December are free to the public. Tickets to some art performances including the Belt and Road Shenzhen International Music Season and Shenzhen Grand Theater Arts Festival are low-priced so that residents are able to enjoy high-quality art on a budget. Like the tickets to the 16 performances during the Belt and Road Shenzhen International Music Season which were priced as low as 50 to 80 yuan. As well, except for tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performances, tickets to over half of the performances were priced under 180 yuan.

Half of the 28 events are organized by local cultural authorities, of which 12 have become brand name events including Shenzhen Reading Month, the Belt and Road Shenzhen International Music Season, the China Cup International Regatta and the Shenzhen International Marathon.

To better suit residents’ cultural needs, the menu will be updated, enriched and improved each year in order to cater to people with different tastes and from different backgrounds.

With the five-day China International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) having finished up Monday, the sixth China•Guanlan International Print Biennial is next in line on the menu.

China•Guanlan International Print Biennial 2017

Guanlan Original Printmaking Base, first opened in 2007, is marking 10 years of operation with its sixth China•Guanlan International Print Biennial. The biennial, which also came into being in 2007, has turned into one of the largest and most influential international printmaking events in the world.

This year’s biennial has received 4,054 entry works from 2,175 artists from 83 countries and regions. After two rounds of selections, 304 works have entered this year’s biennial exhibition and 13 of them were selected as “honorary works.”

“A high-level print biennial like this is not merely a grand gala of vision for the public, but also a platform for artists around the globe to communicate and have exchanges in art,” said Shengwei, the curator of China•Guanlan International Print Biennial 2017.

As a cultural brand that is internationally renowned, the biennial has created a favorable environment for the international promotion of Guanlan Original Printmaking Base and China Printmaking Museum. It also facilitates academic exchanges for printmaking around the world, and promotes the development of Chinese print art and cultural industries in Shenzhen. As a permanent exhibition venue, China Printmaking Museum provides a first-class space for the exhibition and display of art.

During this year’s biennial, the fourth Chinese Youth Print Exhibition will also be held at the China Printmaking Museum simultaneously.

January

 Shenzhen Project Care organized a number of charity events to help the needy during the Spring Festival holiday, which included conveying greetings, helping migrant workers return home, offering cultural services, and doing other volunteer services.

 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Shenzhen Open is one of the top four tennis tournaments in China.

 China Design Exhibition is a State-level design exhibition which enjoys the highest standard in the country.

February

 UNESCO Creative Cities Network Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents in Cooperation with UNESCO Creative Cities Network (SZ · DAY) is a top creativity and design event with great international influence, and has helped consolidate Shenzhen’s status in the creative cities network and its brand influence as a “City of Design.”

 Shenzhen International Magic Festival is an international event supported by the International Federation of Magic Societies. In 2017, the Championship for International Young Magicians was held simultaneously.

March

 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season presented music highlights of the countries along the Belt and Road.

 Shenzhen Fashion Week serves as a window for the international fashion industry to catch a glimpse of the hottest trends in Chinese fashion.

 International Ink Art Biennale of Shenzhen is the only exhibition in the world focusing on ink paintings and it is also an international activity for art exchanges held on a regular basis.

April

 Shenzhen Design Week and Shenzhen Global Design Award is a platform for international cultural exchanges, city promotion, design exchange, service and popularization. Shenzhen Global Design Award, set to become the Oscar in the design world, tries to attract top designs in the world.

 Shenzhen Pop Music Festival was composed of more than 100 concerts and street performances. Annual Festival of Top Chinese Music, held simultaneously, gave awards to accomplished singers and troupes from home and abroad.

May

 China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair is the most influential cultural industries fair in China. The comprehensive fair is reputed as the “No.1 Cultural Fair in China.”

 China · Guanlan International Print Biennial is an international academic exchange project with a wide-ranging influence and it is held by Guanlan Original Printmaking Base.

June

 Shenzhen International Photography Exhibition will be a grand event for the photography circles both in China and the whole world. A series of activities will be held.

 China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition is an international and professional art event of the highest standard since the founding of Shenzhen. Since it joined the world federation of international music competitions organized by UNESCO in 2015, it has become a regular event with international fame.

July

 WDC China Open, authorized by World Dance Council, is a ballroom dancing event of the highest standards and largest scale in the Asia Pacific region.

 Shenzhen International Accordion Week, being a first-class accordion event, will include an international accordion competition and performances.

August

 China Images Competition is the only national level event of its kind in China. Themed “The Stories of China,” the first competition is to be held in 2017.

September

 Shenzhen (International) Science Film Week is an international activity encompassing technology, entertainment, science and education.

 ATP International Open is a high-level international tennis event hosted by International Association of Men’s Tennis Professional.

 Shenzhen Grand Theater Arts Festival is a large-scale comprehensive art activity, and it brings audiences vocal music, symphonies, dances and dramas.

October

 Themed “To Create with Shenzhen,” Shenzhen Maker Week is composed of product exhibitions, forums, a makers’ marathon, workshops and start-up competitions.

 China Cup International Regatta ranks No. 1 in Asia and No. 3 in the world in terms of its influence. Since 2010, It has been included in the official event calendar of the International Sailing Federation. It has been awarded as the “Top Sailing Competition in Asia” five times.

November

 Themed “Reading · Progress · Harmony,” Shenzhen Reading Month is a large-scale and comprehensive mass reading cultural activity held in November each year.

 China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) is the largest and most influential exhibition on high technologies in China.

 China International New Media Short Film Festival is the only State-level international short film festival in China.

December

 Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture (UABB)

 Shenzhen Creative December is an exhibition for creativity, a birthplace for innovation and an incubator for creation. The activities across the city cover culture, technology, makers and art.