The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is proud to hold the largest and most significant collection of Chinese historical art in North America. This extraordinary collection comprises more than 41,000 pieces, many of which are objects of significant importance, rarity and value. Fête Chinoise shares with you some of our favourites in this article.
Read MoreWhich of the many colours best represents Chinese culture? Readers might say, the answer is obvious: Red! Indeed, the ancient Chinese people also appreciated colours other than red: colours such as purple. In this article, our contributor, Christina Han, shared the cultural history of purple in China. “From a much stigmatized colour, to technological wonder, a manifestation of Daoist spirituality, and finally a symbol of imperial authority, the colour purple evolved through China’s long history and eventually became an important part of Chinese visual culture. The story of purple reminds us of the rich diversity within Chinese culture that often gets overshadowed by simplified and exoticized representations of China inspired by popular consumerism and Orientalism. So next time you celebrate the Spring Festival, add a bit of purple in the sea of red and gold, and welcome the purple air coming from the east!”
Read MoreYang Yongliang, a contemporary artist from China, reimagines traditional Chinese landscape art with digital techniques to create dreamy techno visions of man in nature. His work employs contemporary images of cities and cars, which he alters and adjusts to fit within these classically composed and serene landscapes, maintaining a foggy black-and-white aesthetic. “Journey to the Dark II” is his first multi-channel 4K video.
Read MoreProducing a television series through a pandemic year might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the crew behind Blood and Water’s Season 3: Fire & Ice. Storytelling is a fine art with a rigorous process, no matter in which field the work is being done. If you can imagine for a moment how long it takes you to perfect that one photo to post on Instagram or Facebook, or to film yourself over and over before you like a take for TikTok or Instagram Live, you might be able to put yourself into a frame of mind to imagine the number of moving parts in the footage of producing hours and hours of content for television. The infinite details in one scene, especially filmed inside a casino, layered with the complication of breaking up filming between lockdowns yields a complex process of combing through fine visual details to present a professionally produced story.
Read MoreFor a world that values culture and tradition far less than materialism and other commodities, one designer has managed to set a foundation for his company by capturing the charming vernacular and local spirit of his city, Hong Kong. Douglas Young, a local celebrity who has appeared on one of Anthony Bourdain’s last episodes of Parts Unknown and lectured at universities in Singapore about his passion for culture, is making a difference in helping this generation remember the unique culture of Hong Kong’s ever-changing identity. Douglas co-founded G.O.D. with Benjamin Lau in 1996, fulfilling a long-term vision to build a Hong Kong brand that is both forward-looking and proud of its cultural origins. G.O.D. retails contemporary furniture, homeware and lifestyle accessories with a contemporary Chinese twist, designed in-house by a multidisciplinary design team led by Douglas.
Silence and refuge in a world of hustle and bustle is hard to find. Our editorial team had the pleasure of visiting @tszshanmonastery , where we experienced the most breathtaking views and Chinese architecture in a serene setting. Located on the green slopes of Mt. Pat Sin Leng in Hong Kong, Tsz Shan sits majestically on the hillside above the waters of Plover Cove, surrounded by lushly-forested hills away from the global city’s dense core. Its tranquillity is foreign — unfamiliar to the intensity of Hong Kong’s pace, and a serene reminder to calm the heart. Visit our website to read more details on this incredible place that is a must visit once we can travel again!
Read MoreThe appearance of the qipao is the origin of modern Chinese fashion. Women adorned in high-collared and fitted qipao dresses were seen as embodying “oriental” beauty. A hundred years later, the qipao has weathered the storm of the many historical changes in China and established an irreplaceable position in modern Chinese culture. This charming dress form has become part of mainstream fashion around the world.
Read MoreCultures collide: where art meets game culture and tells a story that doesn't often get heard in Asian cultures. Just in time for Pride Month, read more on what Jasmine Chen, an Asian Canadian leader in theatre, thought about “A Summer’s End - Hong Kong 1986.” It is a breathtaking emotional narrative captured in a visual novel, created by Asian-Canadian game developers Charissa So and Tida Kietsungden. They are the hearts and minds behind Oracle & Bone, an independent game studio in Vancouver.
The story follows Michelle, a buttoned up office worker living in Hong Kong during the heydays of the 1980s. She meets Sam, a free-spirited woman and unconventional entrepreneur, by chance after an incident involving a broken heel. They share a mutual attraction, and the story takes off with emotion and addresses issues of identity not often forged in Chinese culture.
Who else is celebrating their first Father’s Day? Canadian singer songwriter Tyler Shaw has been producing music and sharing his thoughts from home throughout the pandemic. He also welcomed his baby daughter into the world, who pops up in his feed regularly! Happy first Father’s Day, Tyler! Last year, we had a chance to spend some time with Tyler (at the lovely Hazelton Hotel Toronto) to learn about his journey of music, his relationship with Chinese heritage, also his ArtistsCan project initiated with fellow Canadian artist, Fefe Dobson.
Read MoreFather’s Day is this coming weekend, and after months of lockdowns across the country, many provinces are opening back up just in time to toast our dads! In this past year of pandemic living, we have re-engaged our gardens and homes, set foot on newly discovered trails in our own backyards, and driven to local destinations in search of interesting experiences. We’ve come up with a list of experiences to add to your idea bank, in case you haven’t figured out what to do with the family yet! While our list of venues is focussed in Ontario, the ideas are applicable wherever you reside!
Read MoreEven though this year we aren’t able to see the annual Dragon Boat races in Toronto, we look forward to it activities in the Fall of 2021 and the return of the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival in 2022! Learn more about this tradition and our Canadian national team members who shared their story with us in Edition 3, Luck & Ritual. We have utmost respect for these highly experienced and decorated athletes in our community.
Read MoreJust in time to fill the void left by the abrupt end of one show with a mostly Asian cast from another network, Rogers announced the third season of Blood and Water yesterday, the only trilingual Canadian production in English, Cantonese and Mandarin that is produced in Canada. It is also a labour of love, having been brought to life during the pandemic, with the on and off shutdowns that made for an exhausting and extended filming process. After over a year in the making during the emergency lockdown in Toronto, it is finally airing June 13th on OMNI Television on Sunday evenings.
Blood and Water: Fire + Ice is an 8-episode 30 minute crime series uniquely featuring three languages, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, with an all Asian main cast. Produced in Canada, Blood and Water: Fire+Ice is tailored to resonate with a multi-cultural audience, while keeping the authenticity of Chinese culture in the West (North America). Starring award winning Canadian actress and Fête Chinoise-loved Selena Lee, and many Chinese Canadian talents.
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