Beijing Women's Federation

 
01-Joint-photo-for-the-opening-ceremony-of-the-Selected-Works'-Exhibition

02-Skill-and-Ingenuity-–-Exhibition-of-Beijing-Smart-Lady's-Master-Handicrafts-opened-in-the-Seoul-Chinese-Culture-Center

03-Joining-the-2014-Seoul-•-China-Day-activities-on-the-City-Hall-Plaza      

         From 15 to 19 October 2014, the Beijing Smart Lady Handicraft Delegation of Beijing Women’s Federation, a party of 10, held the “Skill and Ingenuity – Exhibition of Beijing Smart Lady’s Master Handicrafts” in Seoul of South Korea, and carried out in-depth exchange of views and discussions on how to conduct women’s professional competence training, boost women’s entrepreneurship /employment, hold the “Beijing-Seoul Sisterly Cities’ Women- themed Cultural Exchange” and other subjects with The Chinese Culture Center in Seoul, the Seoul Women’s Entrepreneurship Plaza, and the South Korea-China Cultural and Economic Friendship Association.
         Just on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of The Chinese Culture Center in Seoul, Beijing Women’s Federation, together with The Chinese Culture Center in Seoul and the South Korea-China Cultural and Economic Friendship Association hosted the ten-day “Skill and Ingenuity – Exhibition of Beijing Smart Lady’s Master Handicrafts”, in a bid to display Beijing women’s historical inheritance and contemporary innovation as well as their aspiration for a beautiful life, advance the mutual learning and exchange between sister cities of China and South Korea, and deepen the friendship between Beijing and Seoul as sister cities. Master craftswomen Liu Lijun, Zhao Wei, Wang Chunxia, Xie Lanxiang, Chi Xueyu, Liu Jianwei et al from the Beijing Smart Lady Handicraft Development and Promotion Society attended the exhibition. During the exhibition, the masters showcased Beijing women’s exquisite skills and elegant creations through traditional Chinese handicrafts such as such as Beijing embroidery, eggshell painting, cloisonné, Chinese knotting, black, gourd painting. Many visitors admired, marveled at, and even were too delighted to leave the handicrafts full of Chinese characteristics and the highly combined traditional and modern crafts, which also allowed more people to appreciate the unique charm of Beijing Smart Lady’s handicrafts.
         On the afternoon of October 15, Ms. Li Shan, wife of the Chinese Ambassador to the ROK, Mr. Shi Rui, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea and director of The Chinese Culture Center in Seoul, and nearly 100 Chinese and South Korean guests including famous South Korean embroiderer Liu Xishun, South Korean painter Li Shangshi et al were present at the event. Ms. Li Shan expressed that cultural exchange is the communication of souls and the building of spirits, while women’s communication is integral to human and cultural relations between China and South Korea, and plays an active role in the building of strategic partnership between the two nations. She hoped that more such events would be held between Chinese and South Korean sisters via the exchange platform of Beijing Women’s Federation in the future, so as to enable women of the two nations to have opportunities to communicate, learn from each other, progress together, and to make major contributions to the cultural exchange and cooperation between China and South Korea.
         During the exhibition, members of the Beijing Smart Lady Handicraft Delegation also communicated and consulted with South Korea Technical Design and Cultural Revitalization Institute, KT&G Imagination Yard, Seoul Women Entrepreneurship Plaza and other institutions, also learned about the policies and schemes drawn up by South Korea in support of women’s entrepreneurship and employment while exchanging techniques and skills with South Korean handicraft experts, and had a deep understanding of advanced cases of women’s successful entrepreneurship/ employment and the operating modes and business ideas of related organizations. In addition, the delegation also had cooperation talks with The Chinese Culture Center in Seoul, the South Korea-China Cultural and Economic Friendship Association and other institutions, and reached cooperation consensus on the holding of the “Beijing-Seoul Sisterly Cities’ Women-themed Cultural Exchange” event, the continued joint implementation of the Chinese and South Korean Women’s Art of Flower Arrangement Professional Training program, the organization of cultural, artistic and educational exchanges and other programs in 2015.
         On the morning of October 19, the delegation attended the opening ceremony of the 2014 “Seoul – China Day” held at the Seoul City Hall Plaza. Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, Qiu Guohong, Chinese Ambassador to the ROK, and others attended and delivered speeches, thousands of citizens and visitors from various countries joined the activities on the day. In the on-the-scene display and interaction on the same day, members of Beijing Smart Lady, with their consummate, exquisite handicrafts and warm, friendly smiles, left a deep impression on visitors from various countries, also became one of the most popular displays with heaviest streams of people on the day, and favorable effects of exchange were achieved. 
         Displaying craftsmanship and communicating with others on an international stage can significantly and actively promote the international influence of the Beijing Smart Lady brand and boost the people-to-people diplomacy of women. In the light of China-South Korea relations having entered the new phase of comprehensive and deep development, Beijing Women’s Federation will continue to expand exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and Seoul in women’s cultural exchange, skills training, family education and other areas on the opportunity of this exhibition communication in South Korea, and make stronger efforts and active boosts for deeper companionship between sister cities Beijing and Seoul and stronger friendship between the two nations.