The Hungarian Season in China - dubbed "Freedom, love", a line borrowed from a poem by the Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi - will present Hungary's economy, culture and tourism industry to the Chinese at a series of events lasting until the spring of next year.
Gyurcsány kicked off the season on the first day of a four-day official visit to China which will include high-level negotiations and business forums.
The Beijing Kodály Society Chorus sings at a performance in honour of the great Hungarian composer at the Beijing Teacher Training University.Photo: László Beliczay
Gyurcsány opened an exhibition on the great Hungarian composer and collector of folk music Zoltán Kodály at the Beijing Teacher Training University, which has used Kodály's teaching methods for some twenty years. He also opened an exhibition of Hungarian Roma painters at the Modern Arts Gallery.
Speaking at the opening of the Roma painters exhibition, Gyurcsány said that Hungarian and European culture would be unthinkable without the Roma and their culture. He noted that the pictures in the exhibition show simple human stories, hopelessness, love, hurt, escape and the desire for self-expression. These feelings hardly differ whether one sees them in Chinese culture or traditional Hungarian culture, though the mode of expression is unique, he said.
He opened the exhibition, entitled Reminders of Colourful Dreams, with Chinese Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and his wife Klára Dobrev with the rector of the Beijing Teacher Training University during a celebration of the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály.
In the evening, the Prime Minister participated at musical gala showcasing "musical postcards" from Hungary.
The Hungarian Cultural Season will focus on four cities in China: Beijing and Shanghai in 2007, and Hong Kong and Shenzen in 2008.
Folk, jazz and pop music will be on the programme for the season. Among the folk music performers will be Márta Sebestyén, Bea Palya and Balázs Szokolay Dongó. Gábor Presser, one of Hungary's most famous pop musicians, will give a piano concert.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány shows Chinese Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng a painting by the Hungarian Roma artist Teréz Orsós at the opening of exhibition of Roma art in Beijing's Modern Arts Gallery.
In addition to the exhibition of Hungarian Roma painters, the work of some of Hungary's best contemporary artists, among them László Fehér, will also be shown.
Other events on the programme include a Hungarian film week, operettas, dances, a show of Hungarian gastronomy and puppet theatre. The Chinese Association of Writers has also invited Zoltán, Egressy, László Krasznahorkai, György Spiró and Krisztina Tóth, some of Hungary's best known authors, to China.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
The Hungarian violinist Róbert Farkas played at a special concert Sunday evening for the opening of the Hungarian Cultural Season in China.
