'Night at the Guangdong Museum' concludes: Qing Dynasty merchants' party bri...
On the evening of August 30th, the "Night at the Guangdong Museum" series culminated with a grand finale. Themed "Lingnan Impression" the event transported attendees to the courtyard of Qing Dynasty merchant Maoqua Ⅱ, where they immersed themselves in the history of Guangzhou's Thirteen Hongs amid the melodies of traditional music.
The event revolved around a Guangdong Museum oil painting by Lamqua or his studio, depicting Maoqua Ⅱ, one of the four prominent merchants. Using this painting as a narrative thread, the performance reenacted the scene of Lamqua visiting Maoqua Ⅱ to create the artwork.
Before the painting session, Maoqua Ⅱ invited Lamqua to enjoy the Cantonese opera "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon", watch the famous Cantonese opera "The Flower Princess", and join a fan-themed party. This reenactment brought to life the lavish lifestyle of Lingnan merchants in a modern museum setting.
During interactions with foreign traders, Maoqua Ⅱ had to learn how to speak English. The play featured a special "Cantonese English" segment, showcasing how Lingnan people in Qing Dynasty blended English with their local language and culture.
Audience members were also engaged with a lively word-guessing game featuring Cantonese pronunciations of words like "bus","strawberry", and "sauce", sparking an enthusiastic response.
In 1757, Emperor Qianlong issued a decree that restricted foreign trade to the port of Guangzhou, giving the city a near-monopoly on China's maritime trade for almost a century. Against this backdrop, Guangdong's exported artworks reflected a blend of traditional Chinese styles, local aesthetics, and exotic Western influences.
The "Lingnan Impression" performance seamlessly integrated export art pieces into its storyline, allowing the audience to experience the charm of Qing Dynasty Lingnan export art firsthand.
Additionally, the event featured a video showcasing the recently restored Qing Dynasty gilded enamel gourd-shaped "Three Stars Granting Longevity" clock, offering a close-up look at the intricate design and craftsmanship of Guangzhou clocks. This preview hinted at the upcoming "Gleaming Time: Guangzhou Clocks in Qing Dynasty" exhibition set to open in November at the Guangdong Museum.
According to statistics, as of August 30th, the Guangdong Museum received approximately 760,000 visitors during the summer holiday, with an average of about 15,000 visitors per day. The museum's seven Friday night sessions during the summer attracted around 15,000 attendees in total.
Ling Lili, deputy director of the Guangdong Museum, announced that with the conclusion of the "Night at the Guangdong Museum" summer series, the museum would resume its regular hours starting September 1st. She also hinted at more exciting exhibitions and events planned for the near future. Stay tuned!
“粵博之夜”圓滿收官:清代十三行富商“派對”與民同樂
8月30日晚,廣東省博物館“粵博之夜”系列活動迎來收官,“嶺南映象”主題展演帶領觀衆走進清代富商盧茂官的庭院,在流淌的悠揚樂曲中,打開廣州十三行的塵封往事。
此次展演以廣東省博物館一幅館藏外銷油畫爲線索,該畫爲清代外銷畫家林呱或其畫室爲四大行商之一的盧茂官所繪。主題展演以此爲主線,通過情景劇的方式還原林呱登門爲盧茂官作畫的場景。
在正式作畫之前,盧茂官邀請林呱聽粵曲《彩雲追月》,看廣府大戲《帝女花》,參加扇子主題派對,百年前嶺南富商生活在現代化的博物館裡得以呈現。
在與外商打交道的過程中,盧茂官不得不學會如何說英語。這場情景劇特別設置“粵式英語”互動環節,展示了清代嶺南人將英語融入本土語言文化的獨特現象。
活動現場,粵語發音爲“巴士”“士多啤梨”“賽斯”等詞條讓現場觀衆紛紛舉手猜詞,氛圍十分熱烈。
1757年,乾隆皇帝發佈“一口通商”的諭旨,廣州也因此壟斷中國海路貿易近一個世紀。在這樣特殊的背景之下,由廣東生產並銷往海外的藝術品,無不洋溢着中華民族的傳統風格、廣東本地的審美趣味,又散發着西洋的異國情調。
“嶺南映像”主題展演將外銷藝術品巧妙地穿插在故事劇情中,讓觀衆直觀感受到清代嶺南外銷藝術品的魅力。
演出現場還特別展示了近期修復的清代銅鎏金琺琅葫蘆式三星獻壽轉花鐘視頻,讓觀衆近距離欣賞廣鐘的精妙設計和慧心巧思。據悉,廣東省博物館將在今年11月推出“璀璨時光——清代廣鍾精品展”,此次展示旨在讓觀衆先睹爲快。
據統計,截至8月30日,廣東省博物館暑假期間接待觀衆總計約76萬人次,日均接待約1.5萬人次;暑假週五夜場開放共計7晚,接待觀衆約1.5萬人次。
廣東省博物館副館長凌麗莉表示,隨着暑期“粵博之夜”7場活動的落幕,廣東省博物館將在9月1日起恢復正常開放時間,接下來博物館還將繼續爲觀衆策劃系列精彩展覽和活動,敬請期待。
文|記者 文藝 通訊員 粵博宣圖|記者 何文濤翻譯|趙凡英文審校|林佳岱