With Old Man Winter still holding some provinces under duress, Beijing is trying to alleviate the pain with a little chicken soup for the soul. Although real food and heat would probably be more appreciated, the central government has opted to nourish the more ethereal qualities of its citizens by sending art troupes to the provinces that have been hardest hit by the snowstorms. According to Huang Zhenchun, Director of the General Office of the Ministry of Culture, “three troupes would stage 10 performances in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei Provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20.” In addition to the performances, there will also be an exhibition of about 169 works all donated by various artists and institutions across the country. According to the ministry, all this is being done to spur on reconstruction and to “showcase the entire country’s determination in our fight against the snow storms, and inspire more people to join the fight.” Havoc from the snowstorms has already cost $15.4 billion U.S. dollars in damage with, sadly, 107 lives lost. Although there is a “We Are the World” style video(much to my chagrin, no one is sporting a jheri curl a la ’80s Michael) broadcasting itself on the airwaves, if you want to make a contribution to help the less fortunate, other than flipping the channel, please visit the Red Cross Society of China to make a donation: http://www.redcross.org.cn/english/index.htm
Image: Rediff
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