Once in a lifetime chance to live as an ancient literati

NAGA Beijng Guqin Culture Tour

October 10th to 17th, 2010

Meet the masters, see antique qins, attend master classes and guqin events at a traditional courtyard house and see the sights of Beijing

Sign up now, deadline is September 30^th

Dear Qin Friends,

NAGA is planning an exciting guqin cultural trip to Beijing this October, led by NAGA director Wang Fei, who is a native Beijinger and will give a special docent tour to introduce you to parts of Beijing you might never see as a tourist while you learn guqin and live like the literati of old in Beijing.

The tour package will include:

1.     Live, study and play guqin in an elegant and exquisite courtyard house (四合院) where Beijing opera master Mei Lanfang used to live.

Unlike 5 or 6 star luxury hotels, boutique courtyard houses are rarely seen in Beijing nowadays. Although in the heart of Beijing, it is very quiet and you can enjoy an ancient lifestyle in a world class modern city. Beijing is one of the few cities in the world to combine ancient, modern, west and east. You will experience a different world. October is considered the golden season in Beijing.

2.     Personalized guqin master classes with Wang Fei. No matter whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, you will learn things intensively in 3 days that you can slowly digest over many months and years by yourself. Please see verious guqin classes offered by Wang Fei at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/lessons.html

3.     Meet the masters. Members will meet NAGA consultants Professor Li Xiangting, Xu Jian, Wu Zhao, Zheng Mingzhong and other qin masters and players: people you often see on videos, hear on recordings, and read about in books. Nothing can replace listening to qin playing and talks by world class masters in person.See previous visits report at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/visitnagaconsultants/index.htm

4.     See the world's most famous and treasured antique qins in museums and private collections. These include the most famous “living” guqin Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, from the Tang Dynasty royal palace, which you will hear played by top guqin masters live in an intimate and traditional setting without any electronic mod-cons. Please see the qin at  http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/0908tangqinyaji/index.htm.

5.     Cultural salon and yaji will be held in that traditional courtyard house.  As you know, guqin has always been an essential object in the Chinese scholar's study, and the best setting is an intimate traditional living room. So our NAGA events will mainly take place in such a setting. Attendees will include world-class guqin masters, xiao and dizi masters, and first class singers. Themes will include guqin, xiao,dizi, poetry, opera, socializing, fine red wines, and fine teas as well as new fashions, Ipad, Iphone…
Please see the venue photo below:

6.     Tracing the lineage. Lineage is an important traditional element in guqin playing. Besides learning guqin with renowned guqin player Wang Fei and meeting her teachers, you will visit the houses that masters Zha Fuxi, Guan Pinghu and Pu Xuezhai and others lived in, and gain first hand insights into the music and styles that have been passed down.

7.     Visit well known Beijing sights and experience local life.

8.     Meet NAGA members from all over world in person to visit and appreciate the beautiful sites of Beijing, at the same time enjoying qin music.

Agenda

 

October 10, this is a super fine date – 10-10-10. Make it special for you.

Afternoon: Cultural Salon at that courtyard house. Meet the masters. Guqin, Xiao,dizi, Xun, Bawu, Singing, poetry, opera, wine tasting, tea drinking. A priceless experience.

Evening: Lake tour at night and lights in a private boat in Shishahai Park. Ancient poets always described this as part of the life of the ancient literati. Listen to boatmen's songs and traditional Chinese music; snacks. Enjoy boating, passing under bridges, viewing crowded shops on both sides, lanterns, laugh, chat, and drink with old and new friends. You will enjoy this night life of Beijing. http://www.china.org.cn/travel/travelogue/2008-04/06/content_14384102.htm

October 11 to 14: private guqin, xiao, dizi etc classes with different teachers and masters (optional, tuition to be paid for separately).

 October 15,

Morning: personalized master class with Wang Fei

Afternoon: Docent tour to museum qins or old masters' houses

Night: qin practice or free time

 

 October 16.

Morning: personalized master class with Wang Fei

Afternoon: meet the masters and qin practice

Night: Once in a lifetime guqin dream

Guqin yaji with a 1300 year old Tang dynasty qin with master Li Xiangting. Listen the best  qin, played live by the best player, poetry recital, meet famous artists and intellectuals, both local and international; Californians bring Californian fine wine to share with other world wine tasters while enjoying ancient music and life on a quiet and peaceful night during the golden season in Beijing in a traditional courtyard house lit by red lanterns like in a Zhang Yimou movie. A priceless experience!

Oct. 17

Morning: personalized master class with Wang Fei.

Afternoon: visit sights and meet the master.

Night: qin practice or free time

Cost

$500 fixed fee for the whole package to cover the following only: 3 days of master classes, meeting the masters, and salon events, attending events, docent tour and visits to old masters' houses.

Hotel costs, travel, air tickets, sightseeing tickets, visas, private lessons, food and drink and transportation are not included. Participants will be responsible for all of their own expenses and shared common service fees (if any) related to these outings.

Notes for attendees

1.     Participants must be NAGA friends (annual membership $100, if you have not yet paid, please apply now to info@guqin.org).

2.     NAGA cannot accept any liability or provide any additional service beyond the qin events described above, whether or not related to this tour.

3.     Since numbers are limited, NAGA reserves the right to select or reject attendees, should the number of applicants exceed the number of available places.

4.     Students must bring their own qin. Alternatively, rental qins are available locally which cost $50 for 7 days plus $500 deposit Only a limited number of qins are available for rent.

NAGA supervised guqins fitted with NAGA silk strings are available for sale for $2200. Because availability is limited, these must be paid for in full by September 25^th in order to receive them during the workshop in Beijing.

If you want to buy a local qin or bring your own, it is your own responsibility to ensure it is in working condition. NAGA will not provide any service for recommendation, selection, adjustment, repair, stringing etc. 

5.     Please email us your registration form to info at guqin.org no later than September 30^th, the location you will travel from, your experience on qin and your bio.

About NAGA

The North American Guqin Association (NAGA) is a nonprofit cultural arts organization dedicated to the public presentation and preservation of the art of the guqin, spreading community appreciation of Chinese culture through the traditional art of the guqin and building a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the Chinese and American communities. NAGA offers guqin classes, performances, recordings, workshops etc.

Please subscribe to the following NAGA social networks to stay tuned for incoming news and events:

·        NAGA: http://www.guqin.org

·        NAGA E-Newsletter: http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/joinus.html

·        Twitter: http://twitter.com/nagaguqin

·        Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/chineseculture

·        Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-American-Guqin-Association/166689747257

·        Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=28237180454

·        LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2681353