From April 19 to 21, the 13th Blossoms of Wisdom gathering of Prince Kung's Palace Museum was held in Yiqiao town, Xiaoshan district, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, marking the first time the event has ventured beyond the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Consisting of a documentary exhibition, a poetry exchange activity and an academic symposium, this year's event attracted nearly 90 poets, scholars, and artists from all over the country to participate.
Jointly organized by Prince Kung's Palace Museum, the Chinese Poetry Society, and Nankai University, the event has also received attention and collaborative support from the municipal and district Party committees and governments of Hangzhou city and Xiaoshan district.
"Encountering Crabapple Blossoms—Documentary Exhibition of Blossoms of Wisdom Gathering" retraced the historical origins of the event at Prince Kung's Palace through a large number of precious documents and images, showcasing selected poems and calligraphy works from past gatherings.
On the morning of April 20, at the event venue, Wu Zhao, a nationally recognized inheritor of guqin art, marked the beginning of the event with a melodious performance of Questions and Answers between Fisherman and Woodcutter. Speeches delivered by leaders of the organizers followed.
Feng Nai'en, director of Prince Kung's Palace Museum, emphasized the significance and uniqueness of this year's gathering, not only as a tribute to classical poetry but also an active exploration of the modern inheritance of traditional culture.
Chen Gang, secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Yiqiao town, welcomed the guests and highlighted the efforts made by Yiqiao in recent years to explore the historical and cultural resources of the "Tang Dynasty Poetry Route in East Zhejiang" (an ancient cultural route full of literary allusions and connecting eight places in East Zhejiang) and promote excellent ancient Chinese poetry culture.
During the event, the "Friendly Exchange and Cooperation Agreement" was signed between Beijing's Shichahai Lake Subdistrict Office of Xicheng district and Yiqiao town, expressing mutual assistance and promotion in cultural inheritance, the integration of culture and tourism development, urban construction and management.
The event reached its peak as poets enchanted the audience with their recitations, exchanged gifts, shared their inspirations, and engaged in on-site calligraphy. A remarkable collection of over 400 high-quality works was amassed during the gathering.
In the afternoon, an academic symposium was held, delving into the spread and development of traditional poetry culture in modern society, exemplified by the Tang Dynasty Poetry Route in East Zhejiang and Prince Kung's Palace Museum's Blossoms of Wisdom gathering. Scholars reached a consensus that the integration of traditional poetry culture with modern life was a topic worthy of exploration.
Prince Kung's Palace Museum will fully execute its public education function, leverage the influence of the "Blossoms of Wisdom Gathering" brand event, continue to explore sound approaches to poetry education, and make contributions to promoting Chinese poetry culture and the popularization and development of classical poetry.
