On May 16, SCMU held the opening ceremony of the “Bell and Drum Resonate in Praise of China: Musical Instrument Exhibition on Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation”, alongside an academic symposium on the role of museums in the “forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation” education. The event was hosted by SCMU’s Research Base for Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation (supported by four central departments) and the Ethnology Museum. It was co-organized by the Ethnic Folk Cultural Relics Committee of the China Cultural Relics Academy, the School of Ethnology and Sociology, and the Center for Ethnic Cultural Relics Research. Ma Yutang, Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President of SCMU, attended the event and delivered a speech. Experts and scholars from the cultural and museum sectors, as well as from multiple universities across Hubei Province and beyond, representatives of inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and faculty and student representatives gathered by the South Lake to explore the ways to pass on China’s fine traditional culture and to discuss the practical pathways for museums to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

The Opening Ceremony. (Photo by Chen Jun)

Ma Yutang noted that SCMU has always focused on the main theme of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, fully leveraging its disciplinary and professional strengths in the Study of the Chinese National Community, Ethnology, and Cultural Heritage and Museology. He emphasized that the university has effectively integrated the display of cultural relics with academic research, advancing a progression from treasured collections in the museum to thematic exhibitions, and then to a “grand classroom for cultural education”. This exhibition, he noted, focuses on the core theme of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and fully taps into the strengths of the museum’s collections, allowing history and cultural relics to “speak” for themselves. In his words, the exhibition has played a cultural symphony of exchanges, interactions and integration, truly bringing the grand occasion of musical culture to life.

He Shu, Chair of the Ethnic Folk Cultural Relics Committee of the China Cultural Relics Academy, spoke highly of the exhibition’s theoretical depth, aesthetic quality and scholarly value. He noted that the exhibition represents a valuable exploration in systematically articulating the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and recommended further strengthening publicity and cultural services for the exhibition.

Yu Hua, Associate Curator of the Ethnology Museum of SCMU, introduced the exhibition’s content and curatorial framework. Li Ran, the museum’s Curator, remarked that, through interdisciplinary and cross-regional connections, the exhibition has made the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation a tangible, perceptible and effective experience. Afterwards, the Ethnology Museum of SCMU signed an inter-museum cooperation agreement with the Changyang Tujia Autonomous County Museum.

Performance Scene. (Photo by Chen Jun)

At the opening ceremony, a splendid performance of Chinese music took place: Luo Fengxue, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage of Yunnan’s folk instrumental music, performed an authentic ethnic instrumental piece, giving voice to the musical traditions of the colorful land of Yunnan. Hong Juanjuan, director of the Beijing Sanshengyuan Kunqu Opera Club, performed a selection from Kunqu opera, showcasing the gentle and melodious grace of Jiangnan’s elegant music. Chen Zhipeng, founder of the Natural Music movement, delivered a natural music performance that conveyed the harmonious sounds of heaven, earth and all living things. Pipa ensembles performed by Liu Bing, a faculty member of SCMU’s School of Music and Dance, and her students, a morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) performance by Zhang Zhao, also from the School, and a suona solo by Liu Jiaxiang, an undergraduate from Wuhan Conservatory of Music, demonstrated the unique charm of musical instruments of various materials...

Attendees Visit the Exhibition Hall. (Photo by Chen Jun)

During the academic exchange session following the opening ceremony, participating experts engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as the transmission of ritual and musical civilization, the integration of ethnic cultures, and the planning of museum exhibitions. By integrating tradition with modernity and combining art with technology, they transformed the theme of “forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation” into a tangible and accessible cultural experience, thereby better leveraging its educational function. The participating experts and scholars also held vigorous discussions on topics such as innovation in museum education, the revitalization of ethnic cultures, and inter-museum cooperation, reaching a number of consensus views.

Academic Symposium Scene. (Photo by Chen Jun)

It is reported that this event, as an important part of SCMU’s “May·18: International Museum Day” series, spanned three days. In addition to the opening ceremony and academic exchanges, it also included exhibition tours and a public benefit concert. The event organically combined cultural relic exhibitions, academic seminars, and living performances, comprehensively showcasing the profound foundations of Chinese ritual and musical civilization and the vivid picture of the integration and interaction of various ethnic cultures. In the future, the “Bell and Drum Resonate in Praise of China: Musical Instrument Exhibition on Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation” will be open to the public free of charge as a permanent exhibition of the Ethnology Museum, serving as an important practical platform for SCMU to deepen education on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and to revitalize China’s traditional ritual and musical culture.