Showtimes:
Friday, February 19th | Chicago History Museum

  • 9:45 AM - TIES THAT BIND
  • 10:45 AM - ART OF LIFE
  • 11:45 AM - ICON OF CULTURE
  • 1 PM - FISH WORSHIP
  • 1:30 PM - A PERFECT DESTINY
  • 2:00 PM - THE DANCER ON THE SILK ROAD
  • 3:00 PM - IN LOVE WITH BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN
  • 3:30 PM - SHAOLIN KUNG FU MONKS

Saturday, February 20th | Chicago Botanic Garden

  • 10: 15 AM - TIES THAT BIND
  • 11:30 AM - ART OF LIFE
  • 1 PM - ICON OF CULTURE

“Passage to China” is a trilogy documenting Denise Keller, a Chinese-German TV hostess’ vast travels to various parts of China during the 2nd half of 2014.  (In English w/Chinese subtitles)

Episode I – TIES THAT BIND (52 mins.): Denise took us first to the birthplace of Confucius in Shandong province; then moved on to the country’s most modern city in Shanghai; marveled at the ancient city walls of Xi’an, and ended up at the breath-taking terraced rice fields in Yuanyang, Yunnan Province.  During this episode, we also witnessed Denise’ discovery of her own roots in the Tulou (eastern structures) in Yongding, Fujian Province.  

Episode II – ART OF LIFE (52 mins.): Denise visited a guqin (Chinese zither) maker and enjoyed a guqin performance in Beijing, capital of China.  Title of the music performance is “Water Flowing” which was included on the CD carried by NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2.  At Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province, Denise showed us Nuo Dance, a “living fossil” of Chinese art.  Then we traveled to Zhujiajiao, an ancient town outside of Shanghai and took us behind-the-scene of the performance of  the famous Kunqu Opera entitled “Peony Pavilion”.  We also had a surprise visit with the internationally renowned composer Tan Dun and learned about his world famous work “Water Heavens” -- the phenomena of performing music with water.  

Episode III – ICON OF CULTURE (52 mins.):  At Yuanyang in Yunnan Province, Denise drove cattle and learned how this terrace fields, a thousand-year-old agricultural and cultural vista continues and maintained by the minority groups.  By the Grand Canal in the Shaoxing City of Zhejiang Province, Denise tasted their own brewed rice yellow wine, Huangjiu, got a little tipsy and traveled to Hangzhou city to collect and attend an authentic tea ceremony of the world famous tea:  Lungjing (Dragon Well).  After that, two more stops in pursuit of China’s cultural icons: “porcelain making” at the modern porcelain capital Jingdezhen; and “silk spinning and weaving” in Suzhou.  The trilogy is then wrapped up with Denise visiting Chinese artists focused on contemporary art.  

“Fish Worship” (26 mins.) (In English/Chinese w/Chinese/English subtitles).
Puyuan Village is situated in the cradle of the mountains of Fujian Province in Southeast of China.  Ancient bridges, rivers and houses intersperse the valleys.  In the village stand a 1,300-year-old tree and an eight-century old ancestral temple.  Over two hundred years of rules are still observed and practiced by the elders (average age 70-year-old) to live in harmony with their carp.  When a fish dies, the villagers host a solemn traditional funeral for the deceased soul.

“A Perfect Destiny” (26 mins.) (In English/Chinese w/Chinese/English subtitles)
French chef, Pascal, who speaks fluent Mandarin and loves Chinese tea, first came to China in the early 1990s and now settled down with his French cuisine restaurant.  He uses only locally grown food & produce and creates innovative new French-Chinese cuisine.  This is the story of how Pascal and his Chinese wife and their newborn found their destiny in China.

“The Dancer on the Silk Road” (45 mins.) (In English/Chinese with Chinese/English subtitles) 
Three talented performers, Nilufar, Yue Lu and Osman, who all reside in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the ancient southern & northern silk road, specialized in Uygur dances and songs are portrayed in this documentary.  The audience will be treated to great clips of rehearsals and performances by these 3 artists. 
“In Love with Blue and White Porcelain” (30 mins.) (In English w/Chinese and English subtitles)
Internationally acclaimed Blue and White porcelain, the best of ceramic art innovation in China is portrayed here through two well-established ink artists, Lu Lu-jun and Ye Jian-xin.  In combing ink painting on porcelain, this centuries old Blue and White porcelain is radiating a new growth.

“Shaolin Kung Fu Monks” (30 mins.)  (In English w/Chinese subtitles) 
Adam McArthur from Los Angeles, has studied the Shaolin Kung Fu for nearly 20 years.  The documentary is about Adam’s world tour with the Shaolin Temple Kung Fu Monks Delegation witnessing their  official visit to Russia in 2013 followed by Adam’s own exploration to the birthday place of Shaoling Kung Fu: Shaolin Temple, in Songshan Mountain.  There he had a chance to further his studies about Kung Fu moves.  Following Adam’s tour, we will enjoy the exciting performances by the junior and senior monks including a private discussion with the abbot understanding about meditation and the essence of Buddhism through the spirit of Shaolin Kung Fu. Ending the world tour, Adams accompanied the Shaolin Temple Kung Fu Monks delegation back to New York and Los Angeles and more exciting demonstrations were documented.