Swedish City Center: Historical Memory of War and Peace

Architecture and Arts in Sweden

Sweden is a famous country in northern Europe. It used to be a powerful Pirate kingdom. Now it has turned out to be a country that replaced by modern Swedish people, living there feeling peaceful, easy and comfortable, and satisfied with self-sufficiency, though you could still see the “trace of pirate” there. At present era of internet, Sweden has got some organizations, institutions, such as “Internet Pirate Party”, “Pirate Region Website” and “Swedish Pirate Party”. When they are going to parade, protest, and make request, they will hold their pirate flag. Their pirate-type of distant-sailing, expansion and sharing have all become a sense of philosophy existing in all aspects of people’s modern life, like brand-name, company, sailing and request of lawful freedom of downloading internet information.   

Ancient Historic and Cultural Heritage

An Instant in the Street

Swedish has a long history of friendship with Chinese people. The Drottningholm Palace built in late 17th century is located on Rowan Island in Stockholm. The Palace was expanded with the sumptuous Baroque style, style of Barak and English romantic style. Its world famous theatre building has become the best Baroque-style theatre preserved in Europe. The stage installation, scenery gear, mechanical setup are dramatic. Here, not only numerous classical plays were staged, a historical real drama of the assassination of King Gustav III also happened by taking the advantage of masquerade. Drottningholm Palace also has a special “China Palace”, which was built in 1769, when the Chinese culture and oriental culture was very popular in Europe. It was fashionable for Royal Families of many European countries to have Chinese porcelain, silk, tea and garden, etc. The China Palace was built with French Rococo Style and rich exotic Chinese and oriental elements. In 1992, Drottningholm Palace was among Sweden’s first list of the world cultural heritage approved by UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Committee. The evaluation of the World Heritage Committee is: “The Drottningholm Palace, together with the other palace, theatre, China Palace and garden, is the model of Swedish Royal City since eighteenth century, showing the European architectural style of all this period. Just as the rest of European palaces of the same period, the Drottningholm Palace was built with the inspiration of Versailles Palace style.” 

Ancient Streets and Buildings

An Instant in the Street

Almost at the same period the China Palace was built, Sweden began to trade with China in 1830s. The luxurious merchant ship Goteborg built by the Swedish East India Company once sailed three times to and from Guangzhou, brought back a large quantity of Chinese tea, porcelain, silk and spices.   

On June 9th, 2007, Chinese President Hu Jintao, who was then on a state visit to Sweden, and Swedish King Carl XVL Gustaf attended together, the return ceremony of new Goteborg from China to Sweden in Goteborg city. President Hu Jintao accompanied by the King and Queen went aboard the merchant ship Goteborg.   

It was during Goteborg’s re-sailing of the “Silk Road on the Sea”, dozens of trade and cultural activities were carried out in Guangzhou and Shanghai, ushering a new historical period of economic and cultural exchanges between China and Sweden.   

From September 26th to October 2nd, 2011, China Federation of Literature and Art Circles (CFLAC) held “China Today”, a series of cultural events in more than ten cities in Sweden, Chinese traditional music concert, Chinese movie screenings, special performances of Chinese puppet, modern dance and evening entertainment of acrobatics, magic show, dance and music were presented. Over one hundred Chinese artists performed in the events.   

It is the first time for “China Today” by CFLAC to be staged in northern Europe, it is also the first large-scale cultural exchange activities held by CFLAC in Sweden. The opening ceremony of the events was held in Malmo, a famous Swedish southern city, and was warmly welcomed by Swedish people. The excellent traditional art performance by the Chinese artists amazed the audience. They often applauded warmly, and could not help giving standing ovation to express their thanks. The Chinese delegation was highly welcomed and praised by Swedish officials and celebrities in   cultural and business circles. The Swedish people’s respect, admiration and love for the Chinese culture and the cultural exchanges between China and Sweden have hence opened a new chapter.