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Events
British Columbia Guangdong Business Council
Serving 25 years in 2010!
The British Columbia Guangdong Business Council will be celebrating its 25 year anniversary, serving to expand business relations between the provinces of Guangdong, China, and British Columbia, Canada. Its mission is to foster closer economic relations within the arenas of private enterprise, business, academic and research insitutions and government.
Working Together to Build a Sustainable Future
The Committee on Sustainable Development is a division of the BCGBC, focusing on building partnerships for the exchange of knowlege, research and products relating to promoting sustainable development on both sides of the Pacific rim.
New BC-Guangdong Twinning Mission to China, NOVEMBER 2009
The BCGBC in concert with the Vancouver Guangzhou Friendship Society announces its 2009 mission to Guangzhou in November. The mission will be the initial event for twinning efforts linking cities and towns from the provinces of Bitish Columbia, to those in Guangdong. Improving industrty relations will be a key focus highlighted by trade exhibitions and a crossdiciplinary design and planning workshop for the 2010 Asian Games.
The BC I Asia Twinning Tool Kit report was presented at the fall 2007 convention session of the UBCM by then Minister Ida Chong (Ministry of Community Services) in collaboration with the Ministry of Small Business, Trade, and Economic Development. The report put in place the context for the Twinning Project which is to support the British Columbia Asia-Pacific Initiative through:
- The establishment of robust economic twinning alliances
- The expansion of existing relationships between communities and regions in BC and Asia
- And the fostering of sustainable ties between the two global regions.
Please click this link to learn more on the BC-Guangdong Twinning effort.
Frogs to help deliver environmental message into metro-Vancouver's pan-Asian communities
7:30 pm Saturday August 22, 2009
Reaching into one of the region's largest multicultural communities, the city Richmond will be rolling out the green carpet for an evening of Frogs, Film and Fun. The event will be delivered by ordinary metro Vancouver citizens, “we’re not scientists… just ordinary everyday working folks who care about our backyards, and we just want to share our thoughts with all our neighbours… hopefully, in their first language(s)”.
This is a conscious effort of the organizers to reach into and inform the local Chinese and pan-Asian communities about environmental issues, with an emphasis on Frogs. The goal is to make this event as an enabler and as a facilitator for like-minded individuals and organizations – to network and support each other’s efforts, and to involve the local communities into metro Vancouver’s environmental efforts.
Venue:
Richmond Cultural Centre
Outdoor multi-media presentation and film screenings
7700 Minoru Gate
Costs:
FREE (Donations to Richmond Reptile Rescue Society)
Emcee
Michael Morgan
Co-presenters:
City of Richmond
Richmond Cultural Centre
Urban Treefrog Blog
Richmond Reptile Rescue, Adoption & Education Society
Cinevolution Media Arts Society
Special Sponsor:
Institute for Industry – University Cooperation of Visual Media in Japan
Featured speakers and artists:
David Wong (featured speaker, Urban Treefrog Blog)
Val Ellis Lofvendahl (speaker, Richmond Reptile Rescue and Education Society)
Tani Hansen (filmmaker of The Mailbox Blues)
David Kim (projection design and operation)
Outdoor Movie Screenings:
The Mailbox Blues (8 minutes)
(Filmmaker in attendance for Q & A)
Lovely black & white film by Richmond filmmaker Tani Hansen about a tree frog living in her mailbox.
Blue Symphony (Documentary, 90 minutes, 2008, HD, Japan)
Director: Takahiro Mitsuyoshi
Language: Japanese & French with English subtitles
Award: Toyko International Film Festival (2008)
For more information:
Cinevolution: Vancouver New Asia Film Festival
Urban Treefrog BLOG
FACEBOOK page
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Friday, June 24th, 2005 ... Dr. Sun Yat-sen Chinese Classical Garden [Vancouver] held it's famous annual Garden Gala ... in the Garden itself! A first in it's almost 20 year history."Moonlit Blossoms in the Breeze" was the theme of this year's Gala. The Garden is the first full-scale classical garden built outside of China, following true methodologies, techniques, materials and craftsmanship used during the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644]. The magical evening started with a gentle evening shower and ended with a spectacular fireworks finale! > > > slide show 2 > > >
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Summer 2005 saw the Vancouver Wong's Benevolent Association celebrate it's 35th Anniversary, and the triennual Wong's National congress. WBA is the unification of two earlier historic Wong's Association. Hard to believe I actually attended. All I remember was being dragged out to these things by my dad, and getting bored to tears. This time it was different. I went on my own, and the crowd present actually shared a lot in common - speaking English, and were descendants of many of the pioneer families of Vancouver. Looks like a new generation has succeeded ... I wonder what the future holds for these venerable old family associations. > > > slide show 1 > > >
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Guangdong Youth Choir
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| As I prepare this material, I'll just leave behind the last few events related to this topic of Canada-China relations I had on this original web page on my site:
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BC's Kung Fu Youth Delegation to China: Dec 2005
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The last couple of weeks in December 2005 saw a delegation of young Canadians visit Vancouver's Sister City of Guangzhou for an amazing Kung Fu exchange!
BC's young people made all Canadians proud with their cheerful, respectful and diplomatic presence. It was a wonderful way to finish off a year long Sister Cities celebration. For almost all of these young people, it was a first time visit to China. There were many multi-generational Canadians who visited their ancestral homeland for their very first time and was definitely an eye-opener for all, including the parent chaperones. Kung Fu performances and training occupied most of their sojourn in China, whilst shopping and sight seeing filled in the rest. Many thanks go to the Foreign Affairs offices of Guangzhou and Guandong, the City of Vancouver, and to Sifus (Kung Fu Masters), William Ma and Marquis Lung for leading and organizing BC's dream team of young Kung Fu athletes and future diplomats.
I took over 1,200 photos and eight hours of video. I had earlier prepared a random collection of two slide shows ( links removed now ) for your viewing enjoyment (email me should you wish to view them). When I get around to it, I'll post the incredible Lion Dance movie (with aerial manoeuvers atop 12+ foot poles), performed by the Kung Fu disciples of famous legendary Master, Wong Fei Hung at Foshan.
The TOP THREE Student remarks were :
3. "...When are we going to eat something that doesn't slide, slither or goes squish?"...
2. "... No more 6 am training classes, please Sifu Lung ..."
. . . . and the TOP query by Sifus, Students and Parents is :
1. "... has anyone seen Ajay?" [ Ajay is now comfortably back in Vancouver, eating Pizzas and helping out with the
. . . . Canadian Northern Shaolin Website ]
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SLIDE SHOW 1
SLIDE SHOW 2
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2005 was the 20th Anniversary of sister Cities Vancouver and Guangzhou
And the 10th Anniversary of sister Provinces British Columbia and Guangdong
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The year started with Vancouver's Mayor and some of her citizens visiting Guangzhou, China. The Pearl River Delta [includes, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau], is one of the economic powerhouses of the Asia Pacific - a region where most of the pioneer Chinese Canadian families originated from at the turn of the last century.
The BC - Guangdong Business Council [BCGBC] and other organizations helped organize a business and cultural forum in Vancouver during the month of October. Almost 700 Chinese delegates arrived, including Governor Huang Hua Hua, the Mayors of at least 20 Guangdong Cities, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, senior Ministers and business people. |
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| The Vancouver Board of Trade hosted a capacity crowd at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. Other than the usual innocuous political blabs, the event went fairly smooth. It was a hoot to view some of the "success" stories presented by the B of T - in particular, one high-lighted success story openly demonstrated it's ignorance of China. At our private lunches, a number of us, including Chinese government officials, noted that the company's map of China had been "forced-fit" onto it's boiler plate visual presentation. Our Chinese guests were quite disturbed that a map of China had been distorted into the shape of a shoe! Well, this "successful" company is an equal opportunity Buffoon ... as they also mispelled many words - using non-Canadian versions. Small wonder why Canadian companies have less than 5% of the Chinese market (when compared to other foreign nationals doing work in China). > click image > > |
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| In contrast, there were other remarkable and successful events: the two day BCGBC /BCIT Sustainability Forum, feauturing some of BC's best creative minds and innovators, including world renowned Architect Bing Thom; a Health Forum with experts from both sides of the pond; the Governor of Guangdong's hosting of the Guangdong Modern Dance Troope along with the famous Goh Ballet of BC.
What was most refreshing was the frank exchange of ideas at the Sustainability Forum, for example, one Chinese delegate went on to exert, "China will no longer be viewed as the Sick Man of Asia". We never imagined that this sentiment would be openly shared. I guess this fellow must have seen the same Bruce Lee movie I had.
The 2005 Anniversary celebrations will finish off with a Kung Fu delegation from BC going to Guangzhou at the end of this year. The Youth from BC will meet with the Youth of Guangdong ... a truly wonderful way to continue the succession of friendships with a new generation. > click image > >
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Hey! I found an old article I wrote back in 1984 !
... China through the Eyes of a Banana.
this google stuff is incredible. What amazes me even more is that my old Alma Mater would archive all of this ancient bumph.
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