16 April 2018 - On 16 April 2018, the "Honed in Tradition: Philippine Weaves" exhibit officially opened for display at the Beijing Foreign Studies University library. The exhibit will be showcased on 16 - 27 April 2018.

Mr. Yan Guohan, Vice President of BFSU, (photo on top) and Ambassador Sta. Romana (photo below) during their opening remarks 

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Yan Guohan, Vice President of BFSU, expressed appreciation for having the textile exhibited in the university. He added that he looks forward to  having closer cooperation between the Philippine Embassy and the university to strengthen its Philippine Studies program.

To officially open the exhibit, Ambassador Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana noted the long-standing friendship between the Philippines and China and the various levels of interaction and people-to-people exchanges which enhance our relations.

Ambassador Sta. Romana briefly introduced the Honed in Tradition: Philippine Weaves and noted that the exhibit is a joint effort of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He said that through the display of various textiles and weaving techniques, the Embassy hopes to showcase the innate creativity of Filipinos and how we express our various belief systems, values and social structures.

Group photo with Ambassador Sta. Romana and the Officials and Students of the  Beijing Foreign Studies University

BFSU has been offering Philippine Studies as an undergraduate course since September 2017. There are currently fourteen (14) Chinese students taking up Philippine Studies in BFSU. Before officially opening the exhibit, the students sang the Filipino song entitled "Mahal Kita Kasi" for guests attending the ceremony

Students of BFSU during their presentation

The event at BFSU is part of the Embassy's efforts to bring the exhibit to universities in Beijing. The exhibit was first featured in Peking University on 19 to 27 October 2017. END.