Panda Art Exhibition Promotes Cross-Strait Cultural Dialogue in Kaohsiung

A panda-themed art exhibition opened Saturday at the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Kaohsiung, China’s Taiwan region, presenting giant pandas as symbols of friendship, culture and peaceful exchange.

The exhibition features installations, illustrations, paper-cutting artworks and decorative pieces inspired by pandas. It brings together artistic works from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and highlights cultural creativity, traditional Chinese aesthetics and people-to-people interaction.

At the entrance, visitors are welcomed by two 1.3-meter-tall panda installations. The two works were unveiled during the opening ceremony as reciprocal gifts exchanged between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

One of the installations, created by an artist from the Chinese mainland, incorporates flowers associated with the traditional lunar calendar. It also includes distinctive elements of Qiang embroidery, reflecting the beauty and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese culture. The work was presented as a gift to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum.

The other installation, created by Taiwan artist Li I-cheng, features colorful interwoven stickers and highlights local characteristics of Taiwan. The work expresses hope for closer cross-Strait exchanges and was presented as a gift to the Sichuan Culture Center in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

Li, a professor at Cheng Shiu University in Taiwan, said he included Taiwan’s landmarks and scenes from everyday life in his creation. He said he hoped the artwork would show the charm of the island and help people on the mainland better understand the region.

Other painted panda installations displayed at the exhibition combine panda imagery with elements of China’s intangible cultural heritage. These include oil-paper umbrellas, Sichuan opera face-changing art and blue-and-white porcelain patterns.

The exhibition also includes a 10-meter-long graffiti scroll that invites visitors to participate in the creative process. Visitors can add colors to pre-drawn giant panda outlines, turning the work into a collaborative artwork shaped by public participation.

The opening day attracted a large number of visitors. One local visitor said she had long been a fan of pandas and had even made a special visit to Taipei Zoo to see Yuan Yuan and her family. Yuan Yuan is one of the giant pandas gifted to Taiwan by the mainland.

Venerable Yung Jung, deputy director of the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, said artistic creation can help people transcend geographical distance, deepen mutual understanding and promote sincere interaction.

She said she hoped giant pandas could serve as messengers of friendship, culture and peace.

The exhibition is jointly organized by the Sichuan Culture Center, Beijing Saisiboyi Culture and Art Co., Ltd. and the Taiwan-based Humanistic Culture and Education Foundation. It will run until July 27.

By combining the popular image of the giant panda with traditional culture and contemporary artistic expression, the exhibition seeks to strengthen cultural ties and encourage dialogue between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.