Lau (in suit) presenting the appointment certificate to the association’s new president, Hii Yii Ping.
CONCERTED efforts are needed to uphold Chinese traditional culture and arts to make them accessible to the present generation, a business community leader has said.
“Although Chinese culture and arts have a long, rich history, some people are indifferent towards this,” said Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Datuk Lau Cheng Kiong.
Speaking at the installation of the new committee of the Sibu Chinese Culture and Arts Association, Lau said that in an era of information explosion, young people were more inclined towards fashion trends and popular culture.
Some people, he said, might feel that traditional culture and art were too old-fashioned and out of touch with modern life.
“The acceleration of urbanisation has also made people more exposed to commercial entertainment activities, while traditional culture and art may seem dull and inaccessible to them.”
He said there were also certain deficiencies in the dissemination of Chinese culture and art in the education system, which had led some people to doubt its importance and even ignore it.
“Some cultural consumption trends in society also make commercial and popular cultural products more popular, while making traditional culture and art relatively marginalised.”
Lau said he wanted the association to shoulder the important mission of promoting Chinese culture.
He suggested that the association organise colourful cultural and artistic activities and promote the traditional culture so that tradition and modernity could be reconciled.
