The Children of Hangzhou arriving at the Canadian Children’s Museum

Posted on: 03/06/2011

The Children of Hangzhou arriving at
the Canadian Children’s Museum

Gatineau, Quebec, June 2, 2011—As students from Pierre Elliott Trudeau School discovered today while getting a sneak peek of the exhibition Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China, the lives of young people in Hangzhou are both similar to and different from their own daily lives. Presented from June 4 until September 11, 2011, this adventurous exhibition explores the lives of young people in one of the world’s most ancient, yet modern cities.

“Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China takes visitors on an exciting journey to a fascinating land where rich cultural traditions mix easily with modern lifestyles,” said David Loye, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. “The exhibition is bound to awaken curiosity and inspire young people to discover how their Chinese counterparts live.”

Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China introduces four young people who act as guides on a tour of Hangzhou, a city of 8.1 million people in eastern China. Visitors set out from a bustling bus stop to visit a tranquil pavilion, and then go on to a busy rice farm, a beautiful theatre, a typical apartment, a crowded classroom and a children’s library.

At each stop, visitors see what everyday life is like in Hangzhou and participate in a variety of hands-on activities, games and multimedia presentations that deepen their understanding and appreciation of this complex culture. For example, they practise calligraphy, plant rice, perform in an opera, cook a celebratory meal, count on an abacus and learn some Chinese phrases.

To further explore the exhibition’s themes, the Children’s Museum is offering special programming throughout the summer. There will be fun activities and performances that introduce different aspects of Chinese culture, such as theatre, dance, martial arts, kite-flying, folk games, visual arts, storytelling and food.

The final weekend, September 10–11, coincides with the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, sometimes called the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival. This important celebration will be an opportunity for families to join community guests in sampling mooncakes, making and floating paper lanterns, parading in a traditional lion dance and more.

The exhibition, in English, French and Mandarin, is designed to appeal to everyone in the family. It will be presented at the Canadian Children’s Museum from June 4 until September 11, 2011.

Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China was developed by the Boston Children’s Museum for the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative (YMEC). Before being presented at its only Canadian venue, the exhibition travelled to a number of children’s museums across the United States. It is presented with the support of State Street Corporation and the National Endowment for the Humanities

Media Information:

Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: 819 7