< PreviousIn downtown Beijing, people living in hutong are treated to a game that gives them an insight into the past and the amity between two peoples. Hou Chenchen reports O n a stroll down an alley in central Beijing a distinctive white cone slowly emerges on the horizon, towering above the brownish-red sea of traditional Chinese walls in which it stands. For centuries this religious monu- ment, a dagoba, part of the Miaoying temple, has tantalised the eyes of those who come across it, whether they knew anything about its meaning or not. “ Nihao ,” a young man, who turns out to be a Nepalese volunteer in the temple, shouts out cheerily. “Feel free to go inside the White Dagoba Temple and find out what’s within.” Garbed in a daura suruwal, he brims with enthusiasm about the dagoba, intent on encouraging others to learn about this age-old emblem of friendship between two civilisations. The Beijing White Dagoba Temple, the biggest and oldest Tibetan-style Bud- dhist dagoba in China, is a vibrant testa- ment to cultural exchanges and shared knowledge between China and Nepal. It was designed by the Nepalese architect Arniko at the behest of the founder of the Yuan Dynasty Kublai Khan in the late 13th century. The dagoba is the sole complete historical site of the Great Yuan Capital City that remains to this day. “Cultural exchanges between Chi- na and Nepal are rich and profound, and the dagoba one sees today is the best example of that,” said Gao Jianqin, who works at the China-Nepal Culture Exchange Centre in Beijing. About 750 years ago Arniko, a highly skilled artisan, helped build a dagoba in the Sakya region of Tibet and he made a name for himself across Tibet and North China. When Kublai Khan decreed that a Buddhist dagoba be erected on the historical site of the Yong’an Monastery, which had been destroyed, Arniko was assigned to design the white dagoba and to oversee its construction. A few months ago Beijingers and any- one else with an ounce of interest were invited through a game called Finding Arniko to learn a little about the man and to view what has become one of his most celebrated architectural accom- plishments. Gao, who devised the game, chose the five most crucial moments in the history of Arniko’s odyssey and incorporated these into the five main buildings of the White Dagoba Temple, he said. Visi- tors were able to immerse themselves in an adventure through interactive non- player character encounters, stepping into Arniko’s world. For the game Nepalese students in Beijing assume the various roles encountered by Arniko on his jour- ney from Nepal to China. These roles included: Arniko himself; the king of the Malla Dynasty; Nepalese citi- zens; Phags-pa, the first “Guru for the Emperor” in the history of the Yuan Dynasty; and Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty. “I love the heart-warming joy of peo- ple from different countries coming together, something you can’t experi- ence any other way,” Gao said. “I would jump at the chance to promote cultural exchanges between China and Nepal in some other way. “We wanted the public to be able to appreciate how deep the friendship between China and Nepal is, and to do so in an interesting way.” Liang Yuxuan, 21, a college student from Hong Kong who was a keen par- ticipant in the game, said: “When I talk to Nepalese it’s like a cultural exchange through time and space, friendship between the two countries down the ages. It’s very touching.” Strolling along Beijing’s fabled hutong and its streets, a sense of history and culture seeps from every brick, she said. “Chinese are aware of the white dago- ba, but they’re unaware of its origins and who built it,” said Anish Kumar Kuikel, 24, who played the role of Arniko in the game, and who was studying for a mas- ter’s degree in the international educa- tion of Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University. “Chinese people show great respect for Buddhism. When I explain that Nepal is where Buddhism originated, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, they show huge interest in travelling to Nepal to know more about our culture.” Bidur K.C., 23, a Nepalese studying Chinese philosophy at Beijing Normal University, and who played the Malla King in Finding Arniko , said: “I was curious about how tourists would react when they came across my character, dressed in Nepalese traditional clothes and speaking Chinese to them. “In the event, people were very excited to see me and asked a lot about culture and traditions such as marriage in Nepal. My Chinese is not that good, but I did my best to present my homeland to them and showed them what Nepal is really like.” Shrestha Shrijana, 26, studying for a master’s degree of international educa- tion in the Chinese language at Beijing International Studies University, said she viewed the dagoba as the “largest symbol of civil and cultural commu- nications between the two countries”. Wearing Nepalese dress at the gate of the dagoba, presenting her country’s culture to people filled her with pride, she said. The Nepalese actors expressed their interest and pride in building a new bridge between the two countries and their cultures. Another of the actors, Shrestha, said she had arrived in China a year earlier, and as someone who appreciates differ- ent cultures hoped that eventually she would don traditional Chinese dress. “For me, the best part of Chinese cul- ture is the traditional attire. There are so many ethnic groups with their unique dresses. I’ve tried Tibetan dress, and I plan eventually to try hanfu.” Bidur said his fascination with China began at a Chinese temple in Lumbini, where Gautama Buddha is said to have been born. “As a child I visited that temple fre- quently. Its architecture bears a striking resemblance to Chinese architecture, which sparked my interest in Chinese culture, people and language. Although China and Nepal have distinct cultures, both have rich histories. Coming from Nepalese society to China, I equally respect both cultures.” By Wang Xin With a pasture turning into a natu- ral runway, about 40 Tibetan models showcased more than 100 pieces of clothing primarily made of locally fea- tured yak wool during a fashion show staged in Madoi county, Golog Tibet- an autonomous prefecture, Qinghai province. Guo Xiuling, 53, is the founder of the Shanghai luxury fashion brand Sandriver, and she organised the fash- ion show in June. As a native of the Alashan Plateau, Guo had come a long way for the show, committed to bring- ing the featured fabrics and unique artisanship from China’s plateaus to the world. The brand has been invited to Paris Fashion Week 10 years in a row and to the Maison & Objet, a renowned home decor expo in Paris, several times, she said. “We are committed to pursuing excellence and high quality, and strive to build the world’s top Chinese brand. We want to speak out for China and to showcase quality Chinese product- making.” Guo’s life is a story of pursuing excellence, aiming for the top and transcending boundaries. She studied philosophy and eco- nomics and eventually became a teacher, but then worked in a textile factory. “I see no bounda- ries and am devoted to every single thing I do. I knew noth- ing when I entered the industry but I worked hard to stand out and succeed in the textile sector.” After becoming a technical expert in the first factory in which she worked, Guo was invited to work in Germany in 2000 and became a technical expert in a textile programme with more than 200 technical patents. After returning to China and leading a big team as a supplier for top international luxury brands, Guo founded Sandriver in Shanghai 12 years ago. “The quality of Chinese manufac- turing is top-notch,” she said. “How- ever, there are very few Chinese brands that showcase the spirit of Chinese artisanship and can compete with for- eign luxury names internationally.” That is exactly what Sandriver aims to do. Positioned as an international brand, it has been focusing on restor- ing and innovating with traditional fabrics and unique artisanship rooted in the Inner Mongolia and Qinghai- Xizang plateaus. “If we want to build a world-class Chinese brand we must dig deep into traditional Chinese cultures, raw materials and crafts, especially those less-known from ethnic minority groups in which we have seen enor- mous potential to make our brands stand out globally,” Guo said. The Madoi show demonstrated Sandriver’s ambitions, efforts and what it has achieved. During the down season a yak pro- duces an average of no more than 300 grammes of down. After cleaning and post-processing, the output of wool is significantly reduced. The wool pro- duced is thus highly valuable com- mercially and culturally. “We have revolutionised and inte- grated textile techniques relating to yak wool,” Guo said. “The Inner Mon- golia autonomous region is home to the best cashmere, and Xizang auton- omous region boasts the best crafts from cashmere processing. To make the scratchy yak wool skin-friendly, we integrated our traditional artisanship of Inner Mongolian handmade felting and the hand-woven Tibetan pulu (a kind of woolen fabric) in processing the yak wool.” Reviving the dying traditional craft was not easy. Before the Madoi show Guo spent about 10 years restoring Inner Mongolian handmade felting and another two years conserving and improving hand-woven Tibetan pulu . “As society and the economy devel- op, declining use in residents’ daily lives has led to the demise of tradition- al crafts,” Guo said. “Some intangible cultural heritages are dying.” Fortunately, Guo’s efforts have reaped returns. With the restored craft of Inner Mon- golian handmade felting, Sandriver became the first and only Chinese brand invited to be sold at Le Bon Marche, a department store of the luxury brand LVMH in Paris. With traditional crafts being revived in fashion and art pieces, residents in remote plateau areas are expected to pass on the precious cultural heritages while gaining a bet- ter quality of life. Wang Qiyang, deputy head of Madoi county, said: “In the process of development and production of Sandriver’s yak wool products, local herders and others are empowered to find jobs and gain income in places close to their homes, boosting local economic development.” Guo was recently planning to visit Yunnan province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. “As a Chinese brand, we are com- mitted to making our voice heard and showing the world Chinese materials and production. Sandriver embodies the spirit of Chinese people, which is the integration of profound Chinese cultures regardless of ethnic group or region.” Plateau regions’ textiles stretch into luxury sector 4 CHINA DAILY The view of White Dagoba Temple in Beijing. To the point Models in yak wool clothing display its style in the natural environment in Madoi county. Guo Xiuling, founder of Shanghai- based luxury fashion brand Sandriver, discusses yak wool with a herdsman in Madoi county, Golog Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Qinghai province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY From top: A visitor walks into the White Dagoba Temple in Beijing. Anish Kumar Kuikel, playing the role of Nepalese architect Arniko, poses with participants in the immersive cultural game, Finding Arniko , at the White Dagoba Temple. Shrestha Shrijana, a Nepalese student at Beijing International Studies University, visits Guangji Temple in Beijing in May. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY 75 YEARS ONNext >