This week in PostMag: a guqin revival, odes to Central Asia and a peek into Puyi’s last days as emperor
How Hong Kong connoisseurs are reviving China’s ancient seven-string zither, a look around the Bukhara Biennial, a trip to a Kazakhstan horse museum and the last months of imperial rule at the Forbidden City
Even at more than 120 years old, there are still firsts for the South China Morning Post. One of them was this month’s anticipated debut of our signature China Conference business, trade and investment forum in Astana, Kazakhstan. In honour of that milestone, and the exciting developments brewing in this fast-flourishing region, the curation for this issue includes two tales from Central Asia. Hei Kiu Au saddles up for a journey to the Great Steppe, where a father and son have raised a monument to the horse and the ancient Botai people, tracing the origins of the human-equine relationship and its importance to Kazakh culture.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Uzbekistan, one of the oldest cities in the world is undergoing a cultural transformation. Aaina Bhargava takes us on a visual exploration of the artworks, installations and presentations of the inaugural Bukhara Biennial, where old meets new and preservation meets innovation, and the theme “Recipes for Broken Hearts” is interpreted through the rich imagination of international artists and local artisans.
On the subject of creation, photographer and director Wing Shya – whose trademark moody, romance-tinged aesthetics and evocative stills, captured on the set of Wong Kar-wai films, made him a household name – tells Jing Zhang about returning to Hong Kong after university to save graphic design and Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing’s promise.
Past and present collide in this week’s stories, with revival, reminiscence and resurgence woven into the narratives. Kamala Thiagarajan follows the soulful melodies of the guqin to a small group of players and makers in Hong Kong keeping the traditional teachings, practice, heritage and spirit of the instrument alive as the seven-stringed Chinese zither experiences a renaissance. Whether those showing an interest now will continue doing so after finding out that masters will put their disciples through three months of just learning how to string the guqin is a different matter altogether …