King Abdulaziz Library Branch at Beijing University Enhances Arab-Chinese Cultural Interaction

The King Abdulaziz Public Library branch at Beijing University hosted a series of cultural events in October. SPA
The King Abdulaziz Public Library branch at Beijing University hosted a series of cultural events in October. SPA
TT

King Abdulaziz Library Branch at Beijing University Enhances Arab-Chinese Cultural Interaction

The King Abdulaziz Public Library branch at Beijing University hosted a series of cultural events in October. SPA
The King Abdulaziz Public Library branch at Beijing University hosted a series of cultural events in October. SPA

The King Abdulaziz Public Library branch at Beijing University hosted a series of cultural events in October aimed at enhancing cooperation and communication between Arab and Chinese cultures.

The branch welcomed Shanghai Art Collection Museum president Hu Muqing, whose visit was part of efforts to strengthen cultural and artistic collaboration between the two institutions.

During the visit, Muqing was introduced to the library's various sections and cultural programs. He discussed with library officials the potential for future cooperation in organizing joint exhibitions and launching cultural and artistic projects that combine Saudi and Chinese cultural heritage. The two sides explored the possibility of holding events to exchange art collections and artifacts, which would expand the horizons of artistic exchange between the two nations.

The library branch also received a delegation from Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA), led by its General Director of Planning and Development for Grants, Dr. Maha Al-Mozaini. The visit aimed to enhance cultural and academic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China, with discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration in energy, industrial leadership, sustainable development, and healthcare.

As part of its periodic scientific and cultural seminars, the library branch, in cooperation with the Languages Faculty, hosted a cultural and educational seminar on the experience of teaching Arabic and Chinese languages in Egypt. The event was attended by academics and experts in the fields of language, culture, and education from both countries, along with a large number of students interested in language learning and cultural communication.

A delegation from Tianjin Publishing House visited the King Abdulaziz Public Library branch to enhance cultural and intellectual cooperation between the two parties. The visit included a tour of the library's various sections, featuring Arabic and Chinese books as well as photos, manuscripts, documents, and cultural materials that contribute to reinforcing the foundation of knowledge-based relations between Arab and Chinese cultures.



Chopin Waltz Unearthed after 200 Years

The birthplace of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, May 7, 2010 in Wola, near Warsaw. (AFP)
The birthplace of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, May 7, 2010 in Wola, near Warsaw. (AFP)
TT

Chopin Waltz Unearthed after 200 Years

The birthplace of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, May 7, 2010 in Wola, near Warsaw. (AFP)
The birthplace of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, May 7, 2010 in Wola, near Warsaw. (AFP)

An unknown waltz by Chopin, written nearly 200 years ago, has been discovered in the vault of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

The score, on a card bearing Frederic Chopin's hand-written name, was found by a curator in the spring, the New York Times reported Sunday.

"I thought, 'What's going on here? What could this be?' I didn't recognize the music," curator Robinson McClellan told the paper.

He was at first unsure that the piece was actually Chopin's after photographing the score and playing it on a keyboard at home.

He conferred with an academic at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on Chopin, before the Morgan concluded the find was genuine after testing the ink and paper.

The penmanship was also found to match Chopin's, including the reproduction of a stylized bass clef symbol as well as doodling characteristic of the composer.

"We have total confidence in our conclusion," McClellan said.

The museum believes that the music is from between 1830 and 1835, when Chopin was in his early 20s.

The tune features a stark opening and was described by pianist Lang Lang as containing "dramatic darkness turning into a positive thing."

Chopin, who wrote mostly piano solos, died aged 39 in France in 1849.