Year-ender: Top 10 cultural events from 2022

The year 2022 has witnessed many progresses in the cultural field as the country is stressing more on cultural confidence and cultural influence. Let's review some meaningful cultural events as we say goodbye to 2022 and embrace the new year!

1. China rolls out plans for archaeological work

The plans for archaeological work during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) was released on April 22, marking the first special plan of its kind issued by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

According to the document, two to three Chinese archaeological research bases will be set up overseas by 2025, and five to ten "demonstration-level" cross-border projects are expected to be nurtured by then. Channels for international training and exchange will be further widened, and overseas institutions are encouraged to participate in related research in China.

By 2025, China expects to have more than 10,000 archaeologists, up from about 6,000 currently, as universities and research institutions improve training, according to the blueprint.

2. Chinese cultural elements shine at 2022 Winter Olympics

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics impressed the world not only through the thrilling sporting action and the host's fantastic organizational work, but also thanks to the charm of Chinese culture which was showcased through the whole event.

From the 2022 Winter Olympic medal, emblem, mascots, pins, and a flame lantern to the uniforms of Chinese delegation, from the Chinese art exhibition zone at the Winter Olympic Village to the opening and closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Chinese cultural elements shine almost everywhere.

The cute mascot Bing Dwen Dwen gets inspiration from the traditional Chinese snack "ice-sugar gourd" (tanghulu), while the mascot for 2022 Paralympics Shuey Rhon Rhon resembles an iconic Chinese red lantern commonly seen during Chinese New Year.

At the closing ceremony, 12 Chinese zodiac-themed ice cars and an enormous "Chinese knot" were presented, symbolizing unity and auspiciousness. Willow branches also appeared, expressing Chinese people's hospitality and bidding farewell to the world guests.

3. Chinese tea making joins UNESCO list

Traditional tea processing techniques and their associated social practices in China were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on Nov 29.

The status was conferred by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, hosted in Rabat, Morocco. It consists of knowledge, skills and practices concerning management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, and the processing, drinking, and sharing of tea.

According to UNESCO, in China traditional tea processing techniques are closely associated with geographical locations and natural environments, resulting in a distribution range between 18°-37° N and 94°-122° E.

The inscription of the element is the 43rd entry from China on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, whose total tops all other countries.

Photo taken on July 23, 2022 shows an interior view of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

4. China sets up national archives for preserving bibliology resources

China inaugurated the National Archives of Publications and Culture for preserving bibliology resources, on July 23.

The national archives are a cultural treasure to be handed down to future generations and serve as a general database of national bibliology resources and the Chinese culture seed gene bank.

After a three-year construction, the project comprises archives in Beijing and three other branches in Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou, respectively. It will be responsible for inheriting and preserving national bibliology resources.

5. Hong Kong Palace Museum inaugurated with grand exhibition

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was inaugurated on June 22, and officially opened to the public on July 3.

The HKPM, a new cultural landmark of Hong Kong, not only adds to the cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture.

More than 900 national treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing are on display to mark the Hong Kong institution's grand opening.

The items, ranging from paintings and bronzeware to embroidery, span the nation's rich civilization and 5,000-year history. Some have never been on public display before. The loan of the treasures to Hong Kong is also the largest since the Beijing Palace Museum was established in 1925.

6. Home Coming tops box office charts at National Day holiday

The widely praised film Home Coming dominated China's box office during the National Day holiday, starting Oct 1.

It tells the story of two unarmed Chinese diplomats who return to the war-torn Republic of Numea to bring 125 Chinese citizens safely back to China. It was inspired by the Chinese embassy's evacuation of more than 30,000 Chinese nationals from Libya in 2011 as a bloody unrest unfolded in the country. Directed by Rao Xiaozhi, the film stars Zhang Yi, Wang Junkai, and Yin Tao.

The film has garnered over 1.36 billion yuan ($188 million) at the box office after three weeks, and has received positive feedback from Chinese moviegoers with a rating of 9.6 points out of 10 from 350,000 viewers on Maoyan.

The film has also been released by CMC Pictures with English subtitles in more than 50 selected theaters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Houston, Las Vegas, San Diego, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and a few other North American cities with a large overseas Chinese population.

7. TV drama A Lifelong Journey touches audiences' hearts

A Lifelong Journey, an epic drama chronicling China's unprecedented transformation within half a century, has earned widespread applause, shattering records and becoming the most-watched TV series on State broadcaster China Media Group within the past five years.

The TV series, consisting of 58 episodes, is adapted from renowned writer Liang Xiaosheng's novel of the same name which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of the country's top honors for local writers.

Starting in the late 1960s, the story follows the ups and downs of three siblings in a working-class family in northeastern China, and explores the themes of family, friendship, and romance in a bittersweet story.

It strikes a chord with viewers for its details vividly bringing them back to old times. Many viewers describe the show as a time machine to drift into the past, reflecting how we got here. It also gives viewers an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese citizens who have turned a country in poverty into the world's second-largest economy.

8. Small budget TV show has seen unexpected success

With a small budget, the seven-episode TV show Go For Happiness has gained popularity and won praise since its premiere in July, especially at a time when reality TV is trying to catch eyeballs by bringing in major celebrities, young pop idols, or heavily relying on big-budget productions. Many audiences say that the show not only brings lots of fun but also inspires people with the singers' positive attitude towards life.

The show has gathered six singers who went to Xiangshan county, in Zhejiang province. They spent a week together, exploring the small island while experiencing the life of fisherfolk.

The six singers met and became friends when they participated in a national singing competition Super Boy and they were among the top 13 winners at the hit TV show, propelling them to stardom overnight. Over the past 15 years, they've experienced life's highs and lows.

They joke about themselves and call themselves "once jobless singers who are reemployed" in the new reality TV show. Unlike other reality TV shows, which are scripted, the participants on this show interact with one another spontaneously. Since they know one another, they make jokes that only can be made among them.

9. Poetic dance based on ancient painting brings visual feast

The Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, a dance drama based on Wang Ximeng's famous painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), quickly became an internet sensation, after its debut on China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala.

Choreographed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen and produced by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, the dance drama went on tour in 40 cities with 120 performances since then, making it a national phenomenon.

Displaying scrolls, finding stones, studying brushstrokes, quenching ink, and paintings … the dance group uses various chapters to allow the audience to travel through time and space, and enter the world of Song Dynasty painter, Wang Ximeng, from the perspective of the exhibitionist. The color bluish-green is the soul of the ancient painting, and it is also the visual symbol of the entire dance drama.

The dance drama won the Wenhua Award, the top national award for performing arts at the 13th China Art Festival on Sept 15.

10. Sanyu's Branches fetches high price

Branches by Sanyu (Chang Yu) was sold for HK$86.69 million (around $11.1 million) at a Sotheby's evening sale in Hong Kong on October 7, crowning the highest bid at the auction.

Created in March 1963, Branches is one of Sanyu's few works with a clear date and is a strong autobiographical masterpiece that shows the artist's inner world during the 1960s. It also features one of his largest and grandest flower paintings.

Sanyu was born in a well-off family in Sichuan province. He studied oil painting in France. Because his art was not widely recognized, Sanyu struggled financially. He died alone in his studio due to a gas leak. Sanyu's paintings, however, have become sought-after at auction in recent years.