Chinese New Year: The Story of He Qi
| PRESENTATION |
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Begin this Act of Worship with the traditional Cantonese New Year's greeting 'Kung Hei Fat Choi'. Explain that January 23rd marks the start of the lunar year, the calendar that is used across China. For the next few days, the 1.3 billion people in China and the 400 million Chinese people in countries across the world, including Britain, will be celebrating Chinese New Year by visiting relatives, giving gifts, setting off fireworks, wearing new clothes and dancing. In the 1960s and 1970s the Chinese government, led by Chairman Mao, decided to rid China of all Western influences. Books and music from the West were destroyed. Western clothes were banned and foreigners were expelled from the country. But not only was Mao suspicious of ideas from the West, he declared war on old Chinese ideas as well. The study of ancient Chinese writing was forbidden and religion of all forms was outlawed. Universities, schools, temples and churches were closed down. People of all ages were encouraged to spy on each other and to tell the government if they suspected someone of spreading outlawed ideas. As a result, thousands of teachers, university professors and priests were either murdered or sent to work on huge farms in the countryside. |
| THE STORY OF HE QI |
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In this climate of suspicion and fear, He Qi (pronounced Ho Chee) grew up. His father had been a Maths professor at one of China's oldest universities but now was forced to work on a farm. He Qi was forced to work on the farm as well and hated it. After a long day in the fields, He Qi and his family were made to gather with all the other farmers in front of a poster of Chairman Mao whilst one of the soldiers guarding them would read from a book called the 'Chairman's Thoughts'. He Qi knew that millions if not billions of other people across China were doing exactly the same thing. He Qi looked at the poster of Chairman Mao and thought about the person who had painted it. 'To be a painter must surely be a better life than working on a farm all day long', he thought to himself. So with the help of one of his father's old university colleagues, He Qi taught himself to paint pictures of Chairman Mao. He Qi's talent for painting not only impressed his guards, who set him to work immediately painting portraits of Chairman Mao, but also his painting teacher. The old university professor was so happy to be teaching painting again that, as a New Year's gift, he gave the boy his secret art collection, pictures that he had ripped from magazines and books before they had been burnt by the guards. Amongst the pictures was Raphael's Madonna and Child (an image can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_and_Child_%28Raphael%2C_Pasadena%29). For some reason, this picture touched He Qi's heart and he spent many, many evenings painting copies of it, even though he didn't know the identity of the two people portrayed. One day, he showed one of his copies to a fellow prisoner who, terrified, told He Qi that the painting was something to do with Christianity. If it was found by the guards, it could result in He Qi being sent back into the fields or being executed. After Chairman Mao's death in 1978, universities in China were re-opened and the ban on religions was loosened. Through his art studies, He Qi found out more about Christianity. He discovered that the religion had been introduced to China in the 8th century, but had always been seen as something foreign. He Qi was determined to do something about that and to create a Chinese form of Christian Art. At first, he painted scenes from the Bible in traditional black ink but he felt that these did not express fully the joy that he and many of his Christian friends had found in the faith. Today, He Qi's paintings are famous for their exuberant colours. |
| CONCLUSION |
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Show images of He Qi's work. Allow the children to express their responses to the paintings. How do the paintings make them feel? How do these emotions relate to Christian beliefs? Thanks to the efforts of He Qi and other leading Chinese Christians, the religion is growing rapidly. The Chinese Government has tried to limit this growth by only issuing licenses to churches whose teachings they approve of and by persecuting others. Yet, despite these attempts, Christianity is believed to be the fastest growing religion in China today with approximately 200,000 people becoming Christians every year. |
| LINKS |
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He Qi's website - www.heqigallery.com/index.html Chinese New Year Celebrations - www.chinapictures.org/photo/chinese-festivals/chinese-new-year/50207142844159/ Cultural Revolution Posters - www.zitantique.com/crothers.html |
| PRAYER |
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Dear God, We thank you for the talent of He Qi and pray that he continues to produce paintings that bring joy and peace into people's lives. We pray for Christians and others who have suffered or who continue to suffer at the hands of the Chinese government. We pray that the Olympics this year will help to make China a country in which the rights of all people are respected. Amen. |
| SONGS |
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From The Complete Come & Praise, BBC Publishing: No. 55 'Colours of day' No. 61 'All over the world' |
| FURTHER DEVELOPMENT |
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