Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
In August 2018, Stratford-on-Avon District Council was gifted a Peony Pavilion from the People's Government of Fuzhou Municipality in China, to continue the China-UK cultural exchange. The Peony Pavilion would be located in the Firs Garden in Stratford-upon-Avon. The gift was in response to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust signing an agreement with the Chinese city to build replicas of the Bard's birthplace abroad. Building on the relationship established around playwrights William Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu, the Peony Pavilion is a typical symbol for Tang Xianzu's drama works and a classical symbol of Chinese culture. It witnessed the immortal love between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei. A Chinese pavilion is a type of covered structure without surrounding walls and is a traditional part of Chinese architecture. While often found within temples, pavilions are not exclusively religious structures. Many Chinese parks and gardens feature pavilions to provide shade and a place to rest. Mr Ding Hua from Central Culture Development Group UK says: "As a project champion between Fuzhou and Stratford-upon-Avon, it is pleasing to see another cornerstone of friendship being established. It is an honor to be involved and contribute to such a meaningful international exchange between China and the UK. And hope this co-operation on every potential aspect continues going forward successfully under the current friendship framework from 2016." Cllr Tony Jefferson, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council says: "We are extremely grateful for this gift. It is a tangible symbol of the international status of Stratford-upon-Avon. Both the UK and China have rich and distinctive cultures, and by sharing our history and culture we will deepen the already strong ties. It is hoped that our cultural collaboration will continue to yield results for businesses and this growing cultural partnership will help boost trade, jobs and investment." The Stratford-on-Avon District Council officially approved the donation on 21 November 2018. As of August 2018, the Pavilion was currently being commissioned and was expected to be delivered early 2019. In March 2019, the specially commissioned pavilion which had been expertly built by a team of highly skilled Chinese craftsmen, over the last three weeks, supported by local contractor, Edward Brain & Sons Ltd who built the foundations and supplied plant and materials, was finally completed ahead of schedule. Fourteen crates containing all the different components for the pavilion and the hand tools used for the construction were shipped over from China in February for this project. The Peony Pavilion is made up of lots of intricate details using a variety of materials including timber, stone, clay, slate and some intricate wood carvings. The pavilion was inaugurated on April 26, 2019 as part of the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations Weekend. However, there have also been controversies surrounding the project; residents in the area objected to a proposed Chinese-style pavilion before it was even constructed, which they say the council only approved to make the Beijing government happy. Residents in Stratford-upon-Avon say that the council has said yes to an "eyesore" in their plan to install a 22-foot "Peony Pavilion" in the town center. Residents have warned that the decorative pavilion is set to cause a distract ion to motorists and will lead to antisocial behaviour in a conservation area. Around 45 letters of objection were submitted on the council's planning website.