Worldwide Gathering for Church Exhibition in Hong Kong
Visitors from around the world have been gathering in Hong Kong for a special exhibition putting on display the Bible ministry of the Chinese churches. The exhibition which began on 5th August will continue until 10th August, and is being displayed at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The gathering is organised by the China Christian Council (CCC) along with the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches in China (TSPM) and the Hong Kong Bible society.
The exhibit drawing most attendees is the centre-piece of the exhibition; a long, solid wood carving that depicts the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The chief artist, Zhang Wan Long started on the carving in 2001 after converting his faith to Christianity. The piece is 5.4-foot high and 12.1-foot wide and took three master carvers over three years to complete. The exhibit is now gaining much attention in Hong Kong, and Zhang is later planning to take the carving on a tour to Europe.
Another exhibit, which is entitled “A Lamp to My Feet and a Light For My Path,” covers the period from the origin of the People's Republic through to the cultural revolution of the 1960s and '70s; at this time churches were closed and Bibles confiscated and destroyed. The exhibit continues through the history up until the establishing of the Amity Press and the expansion of nationwide Bible distribution networks by the CCC/TSPM in alliance with overseas Bible publishers, particularly Bible Societies.
Other exhibits on display include historic printed Bibles and others handwritten in secret during the Cultural Revolution. Stories and testimonies of how believers preserved and shared their Bibles during the Revolution are displayed in texts and in short documentary videos.
Every single visitor to the exhibition will be given a special souvenir Bible by the organisers of the event.