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Visual artists explore beauty of Guizhou in cultural event

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Visual artists explore beauty of Guizhou in cultural event
Business

Business

Visual artists explore beauty of Guizhou in cultural event

2024-09-13 12:03 Last Updated At:12:25

BEIJING, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily:

Visual artists from around the world have gathered in Guiyang, in Southwest China's Guizhou province, to explore its beauty.

The cultural event, titled Visual@China Guizhou 2024, kicked off on Wednesday, showcasing the province's unique charm through photography, illustration, design and film.

A total of 31 photographers, illustrators, designers and filmmakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Peru, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bhutan and China will be visiting three cities in Guizhou. They are exploring the beautiful landscapes, experiencing local culture and customs, visiting ancient villages inhabited by ethnic groups, and enjoying local cuisine during the five-day trip.

After visiting the 600-year-old Yunshantun village in Anshun, William Adlington, general manager of a media company in the UK, said he was impressed by the village's ancient houses and buildings, which are in the style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Adlington showed great interest in the wood carvings and craftsmanship used in the ancient houses.

"The thing I always want to do is to see more rural villages in China, and this village is a good example of the countryside, with amazing and beautiful buildings. A very original and authentic village," he said.

Adlington has visited China many times, but he mostly has gone to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Nestled in a mountainous region, Guizhou has constructed numerous impressive bridges to enhance its transportation network. The province is home to nearly half of the world's top 100 highest bridges, with several ranking among the top 10 globally.

One such marvel is the Baling River Bridge, which stands 370 meters above the river and is approximately 2,237 meters long. After an immersive walk through its internal structure, the visual artists found themselves awestruck by the engineering feat.

Unlike Adlington, most of the foreign artists are visiting China for the first time.

Richard Gavrich, a visual artist from the US who teaches photography in California, was very excited about his first visit to China. He took many photos during the trip and paid special attention to ordinary people he met in ancient villages.

"Everything in Guizhou is fresh for me. I did a little research on the internet about this province and was stunned by the photos of those giant bridges," said Gavrich, who was excited about taking photos of the structures.

James Gensheimer, another photographer from the US, expressed his astonishment at the development of cities in Guizhou province and said that the advanced bridges and technologies employed there were beyond his expectations.

"I knew little about China and nothing about Guizhou, but only by standing here, I feel that it's really different from what I learn from the media," said Gensheimer, who mainly focuses on portraits. He was also excited to use his lens to record people he met in Guizhou.

Chen Benrong, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Committee, said at a welcoming dinner on Tuesday that Guizhou has achieved remarkable accomplishments in various fields in recent years, particularly in big data, ecological environment, tourism and bridge construction. He said he hoped that artists from across the globe can show the beauty of Guizhou through their lenses, designs and illustrations.

Liu Weiling, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, which co-organized the activity with the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, said, "The event not only provides visual artists from China and abroad with an opportunity to deeply understand and experience Guizhou, but also establishes a platform for exchange and display between Guizhou and the world."

Lan Hongguang, chairman of the Photojournalist Society of China, said that the rapid development of Guizhou province and the significant changes that have taken place there are amazing. In the 1990s, he began documenting the region's stunning landscapes and the diverse ethnic groups living there.

"Visual arts, including photography and film, are among the best and most effective ways to showcase the beauty of this land to the world," he said.

Original link: https://enapp.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/13/AP66e375e2a310256cbefbf6b1.html

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Visual artists explore beauty of Guizhou in cultural event

Visual artists explore beauty of Guizhou in cultural event

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and smart agriculture technology leader XAG are set to accelerate agricultural automation and innovation in the Philippines through digital agriculture and precision farming using drone technology.  Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), IRRI and XAG will collaborate to validate the application of smart agriculture technologies in rice-based cropping systems through experimentation and research.

XAG, through its Philippine partner Agridom, has donated agricultural drones to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support its mission of advancing precision agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Agridom pioneered the introduction of XAG agricultural drones in the Philippines, bringing cutting-edge technology to local farmers and institutions. This collaboration with IRRI demonstrates Agridom's unwavering commitment to driving agricultural innovation and empowering the sector with tools that enhance productivity and sustainability.

"Drones have been increasingly used for high throughput phenotyping, crop monitoring, improving agricultural productivity, and supporting precision farming. By providing efficient tools for crop monitoring, precision input application, and data-driven decision-making, drones provide the potential to significantly reduce costs and increase yields, optimizing resource use and minimizing environmental impact," explained IRRI Senior Scientist and Digital Agriculture and Precision Farming Lead Engr. Steve Klassen.

This meant that drones could rapidly provide measurements of traits related to growth, yield, and stress adaptation. This technology is particularly valuable to smallholder farmers who must improve their productivity and reduce production costs to be competitive and stay in business in response to climate change, labor shortages, and higher input costs.

However, drone adoption in the Philippines is hindered by limited access to technology, lack of standard protocols, financial resources, and regulatory constraints. "To overcome these challenges, we need a comprehensive approach that involves targeted training, guidelines for best practices, financial incentives, and supportive government policies.", Klassen said.

Klassen's team is also working with the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) - National Program, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and their allied bureaus on the Drones4Rice Project, which aims to streamline and standardize drone protocols for applying seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides in the Philippines. The donated drones will support the ongoing Drones4Rice project and other IRRI global initiatives on sustainable farming and digital accelerators.

"IRRI is a key research and technology partner in the Philippines, and through this effort, we hope to contribute to the country's agricultural competitiveness through drone-based technologies." shared XAG Head of International Business Wei Tong. "XAG's agricultural drones can be applied to various precision farming scenarios, specifically but not limited to direct seeding, pesticide spraying, fertilizer operation, and remote sensing. We hope to expand our engagements abroad to strengthen global food security and tackle climate change, as rice is the primary staple food that feeds over half of the world's population.", Tong shared.

Beyond this collaboration, XAG is also a member of the IRRI-led Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC), which promotes direct seeding methods in rice cultivation by developing technologies and training farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

IRRI and smart agriculture technology leader XAG collaborate to promote digital agriculture and precision farming in the Philippines

IRRI and smart agriculture technology leader XAG collaborate to promote digital agriculture and precision farming in the Philippines

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