Hues From Afar, Hearts Drawn Near— Youth Paintings from Shenyang on Display in the "Lantern Festival" Painting Exhibition in Hastings, New Zealand-Activities- 沈阳市人民政府外事办公室

Hues From Afar, Hearts Drawn Near— Youth Paintings from Shenyang on Display in the "Lantern Festival" Painting Exhibition in Hastings, New Zealand

时间：2026-04-29 撰稿人：供稿部门：Shenyang Foreign Affairs Office

From April 13th to 19th, the annual "Lantern Festival" event was grandly held in Hastings, New Zealand, friendly cooperative city of Shenyang. As one of the core cultural activities of the lantern festival, the youth painting exhibition was also held. With the joint promotion of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Municipal Government and the Municipal Education Bureau, eight paintings created by students from the Beihong Art School of Northeast Yucai made a wonderful appearance. With lively brushstrokes, they capture the essence of Shenyang. Through their paintings and calligraphy, they convey Chinese culture and across the vast distance between the two sister cities, they build a heartwarming bridge for cultural exchange between Chinese and New Zealand youth.

The eight works on display closely focus on the theme of “Beautiful Hometown,” showcasing Shenyang’s landmarks, history, culture, and local customs from a unique perspective. Through vibrant colors and sincere emotion, the students have seamlessly blended Shenyang’s historical heritage with the spirit of the times. Each work is filled with love and pride for their hometown, vividly telling the unique stories of Shenyang. At the exhibition, the works from our city attracted numerous local residents and tourists who stopped to appreciate them. Everyone spoke highly of the artistic creativity of Shenyang’s youth and the beauty of the city.

The annual “Lantern Festival” was proposed and initiated by Councillor Kevin Watkins in 2010. Over the years, it has been deeply loved by the local community and has become a traditional festival in Hastings. This year’s “Lantern Festival” lasted seven days and attracted nearly 20,000 visitors. Visitors not only enjoyed the stunning Chinese lanterns and colorful paintings but also watched multiple Chinese cultural performances and tasted a variety of traditional Chinese foods.