<em>View from the South of the Pagoda of Monk Wansong or the Old Man of Wansong (Wansong Laoren Ta) at Xisi</em> | Photo: BabelStone (Own work) via ikimedia Creative Commons
A treasure to be sought ought painstakingly, just a short walk from the Xisi Metro Station in the heart of Beijing - a tiny pagoda from the XIII Century at the centre of a lovely walled garden with roses and pomegranates. Ancient and, for a long time, hidden. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was surrounded by the streets and buildings of the blossoming commercial centre that Beijing had become. The pagoda gets its name from the elderly wise man Wansong Xingxiu, a famous monk who lived from 1166 to 1246. We know as much thanks to the inscription on a tablet stating "Pagoda of the Old Man of Wansong”. Hidden but never forgotten, the pagoda was restored numerous times which is why it lasted so long. The last work was completed in 1986 in order to repair damage from an earthquake, bringing to light the original structure - seven levels of brick measuring 5 metres, emerging from structure of thin slabs of stone laid all about it, it is thought, in 1753. In 2013, to celebrate the renovation of the entire neighbourhood, the area was opened to the public. On the North and South sides of the courtyard, there are bookshops specialising in the history of Beijing, as well as an exhibition hall with objects and information related to the pagoda’s history.
States of Mind According to the Artist Hans Op de Beeck
In the gallery’s monumental downstairs space, Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck has created a room dedicated to drawing with 13 large watercolours, as well as a projection room in which his new animated film Vanishing Point will be premiered.
“Luc Tuymans: The Past” will be one of the most significant investigations of his work and his first comprehensive presentation in China. With around 80 works that trace his artistic journey, the exhibition tells how Tuymans explores the unsteady power that images wield to shape the present and give form to the past.
Chinese women advance with intrepid steps towards their own choice of truthfulness and unswervingly fight not only their own battle for spiritual freedom, but also that of their gender and humanity as a whole. An exhibition celebrates their artistic journey.
The treasures of the civilizations that developed along the Silk Road
A unique collection of historical artefacts from the main museums and cultural institutions of the world to tell the story of the Eastern Silk Road. Paintings, sculptures, artefacts and other objects testify to the vitality of ancient art mixing with contemporary art interventions.