The Orchid Awards, a program that aims to promote international cultural dialogue and mutual learning by rewarding non-Chinese nationals or organizations worldwide who have participated in cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, announced its laureate list on Friday in Beijing.
David Ferguson, British expert at Foreign Language Press, visits the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province on September 5, 2023. /IC
Among the 30 shortlisted candidates, Joseph W. Polisi, who enjoys the longest presidential term at the Juilliard School and is the Chief China Officer in charge of supervising overall development of The Tianjin Juilliard School, won the Lifetime Honorary Award of the inaugural Orchid Awards.
Alicia Relinque, Spanish sinologist and translator, visits the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province on September 5, 2023. /IC
"Dr. Polisi has made outstanding achievements in art education and has long been committed to advancing China-U.S. relations and enhancing (the) cultural development of both countries and the world. With his efforts, the year 2021 saw the official dedication of the Tianjin Juilliard School and the Tianjin Conservatory of Music Juilliard Graduate School, building a new platform and (injecting) new impetus into (the) deepening (of) mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," stated China International Communications Group, organizer of the awards.
Russian sinologist Taras Ivchenko visits the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province on September 5, 2023. /IC
Flora Botton Beja, former cultural officer at the Mexican Embassy in China, David Ferguson, British expert at Foreign Language Press, and Essam Sharaf, former Prime Minister of Egypt, all received the Outstanding Achievement Award. The Friendship Envoy Prize has been awarded to: Dino Patti Djalal from Indonesia, Carrillo Gantner from Australia, Taras Ivchenko from Russia, Luis Antonio Paulino from Brazil, Alicia Relinque from Spain and Takeuchi Ryd from Japan.
The awards collected submissions from 314 individuals and 33 organizations from nearly 80 countries and regions across the world since August last year. All candidates had to demonstrate international vision and authentic love for humanity, work in cultural sectors and be actively engaged in international cultural exchanges, as well as have made representative, marked and leading achievements in related fields.
Essam Sharaf, former Prime Minister of Egypt visits the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province on September 5, 2023. /IC
Earlier this month, some of the candidates were invited to visit the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province and Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province to have a closer look at the art, history and architecture of ancient and modern China.
(Cover photo: China Pictorial)