The exhibition Contour of the Time: Classics, Heritage and Convergence opened in Shenzhen on the afternoon of November 4, 2026, under the theme "Enduring Heritage, Harmonious Asia-Pacific," according to the release. The opening ceremony was co-hosted by Yu Wen, vice president of CICG Asia-Pacific, and Chen Mu, general manager of Rongbaozhai Greater Bay Area.
A robot Wing Chun opening
The ceremony began with a Wing Chun performance by Dong Chonghua, an inheritor of the martial art in the Ip Man lineage, alongside AGIBOT humanoid robots. The release described the pairing of the traditional martial art with AI as a demonstration of how technology can bring new life to intangible cultural heritage.
What the organisers said
Yu Yingfu, a vice president of China International Communications Group, said the exhibition was held ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and was significant for promoting intangible cultural heritage across the Asia-Pacific and for exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations. He said keeping that heritage alive requires preserving traditional skills, bringing them into modern life and passing them on. Jin Xiu, a second-level inspector at the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said the exhibition shows how digital and intelligent technologies can renew intangible cultural heritage and how multilingual communication can reach international audiences, and noted that it runs alongside three other craft and folk art exhibitions in the city.
Zhao Dong, party committee secretary and director of Rongbaozhai, said the company has worked on its cultural mission for more than 350 years. He set out a dual-headquarters strategy, with one headquarters in Beijing and another in the Greater Bay Area, using Hong Kong as a gateway, Shenzhen as a hub and Guangzhou as a base.
Special issue and documentary
Yang Jianping, party committee secretary and president of CICG Asia-Pacific, announced the release of an APEC special issue of China Report ASEAN, which carries a report on Rongbaozhai titled Bringing Ancient Paintings Back to Life. A micro-documentary, Revival of an Ancient Art: Woodblock Watermark Printing, was premiered and launched at the ceremony, and two roundtable discussions followed. Guests later toured the Rongbaozhai (Shenzhen) Art Space and tried woodblock watermark printing.