{"id":12430,"date":"2020-04-21T09:45:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T13:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/?page_id=12430"},"modified":"2026-05-05T11:24:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:24:52","slug":"asia-at-the-worlds-fair-an-online-of-cultural-exchange-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/asia-at-the-worlds-fair-an-online-of-cultural-exchange-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><div class=\"bu-slideshow-container asia-worlds-fairs-banner autoplay\" id=\"bu-slideshow-container-11304\" data-slideshow-name=\"asia-worlds-fairs-banner\" data-slideshow-delay=\"4000\" style=\"width: auto; \"><div class='slideshow-loader active'><div class='loader-animation'><\/div><p>loading slideshow...<\/p><\/div><div class=\"bu-slideshow-slides\"><ul class=\"bu-slideshow transition-slide\" id=\"bu-slideshow-11304\"><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_0\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner12-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_1\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner6-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_2\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner15-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_3\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner4-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_4\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner17-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_5\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner18-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_6\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner14-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_7\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner20-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_8\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner10-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_9\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner7-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_10\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner3-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_11\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner9-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_12\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner25-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_13\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner21-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_14\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner24-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_15\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner1-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_16\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner23-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_17\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner16-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_18\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner11-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_19\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner22-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_20\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner8-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_21\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner2-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_22\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner13-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_23\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner5-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"bu-slideshow-11304_24\" class=\"slide \"><div class=\"bu-slide-container slide-caption-bottom-right\"><img src=\"\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/AsiaWorldsFairs_Banner19-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"bu-slideshow-navigation-container\"><ul class=\"bu-slideshow-navigation nav-icon\" id=\"bu-slideshow-nav-11304\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-1\" class=\" active\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>1<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-2\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>2<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-3\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>3<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-4\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>4<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-5\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>5<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-6\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>6<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-7\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>7<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-8\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>8<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-9\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>9<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-10\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>10<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-11\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>11<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-12\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>12<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-13\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>13<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-14\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>14<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-15\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>15<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-16\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>16<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-17\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>17<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-18\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>18<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-19\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>19<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-20\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>20<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-21\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>21<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-22\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>22<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-23\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>23<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-24\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>24<\/span><\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#\" id=\"pager-25\" class=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>25<\/span><\/a><\/li> <\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em style=\"font-size: 24px;\">We are pleased to announce the launch of<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.asiaworldsfairs.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Asia at the World\u2019s Fairs:<br \/>\nAn Online Exhibition of Cultural Exchange<\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Exposition-Coloniale-Internationale-1931-poster-415x636.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11265 alignleft\" width=\"168\" height=\"273\" \/>Beginning with the earliest international exhibition at London\u2019s \u201cCrystal Palace\u201d in 1851, \u201cworld\u2019s fairs\u201d became a prominent stage for the presentation of peoples and cultures of Asia to a world audience. With its rich, vibrant and diverse histories and cultures, Asia as represented at these universal expositions provided many fairgoers with their first encounter with Asia and helped shape their understanding of the world. Taking place during a time of widespread colonialism, the notion of the world presented at these fairs had many complex layers of meaning. In many cases, indigenous arts and crafts were selected and showcased by their colonial administrators. Yet, many Asian countries chose to actively confront the asymmetry of power in their relationship to the West by presenting in these exhibitions their own image of their country and culture. These expositions served as a grand stage that displayed a complex history of conflicts, contradictions, and engagement of Asia with the world.<\/p>\n<p>This online exhibition focuses on the presence in these early international fairs of Asian cultures and the stimulus they gave to transcultural interactions in areas as diverse as performing arts, architecture, painting, sculpture, print, and even food. Without seeking to minimize the unequal political and economic backdrop of the various early world fairs, our focus on cultural themes in this exhibition will demonstrate the power of culture to engage with and, at least in certain aspects, overcome power asymmetry. It also creates a platform for an open discussion of the contributions Asian cultures have made on the world stage through these fairs and the enormous impact they had on millions of fairgoers for whom the \u201cworld\u201d as a concept became real for the first time. The dynamics of cultural interaction reveal, often in surprising ways, a blending and sharing of cultural features that have enriched all sides.<\/p>\n<p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.asiaworldsfairs.org\/\"><strong>Asia at the World&#8217;s Fairs<\/strong><\/a> project is organized by themes, each of which is illustrated by a growing number of different exhibitions. At present, the website opens with four<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Official-Souvenir-Worlds-Fair-Expo-Japanese-Tea-Hall-Chicago-Illinois-IL-1933-650x411.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11260 alignright\" width=\"342\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Official-Souvenir-Worlds-Fair-Expo-Japanese-Tea-Hall-Chicago-Illinois-IL-1933-650x411.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Official-Souvenir-Worlds-Fair-Expo-Japanese-Tea-Hall-Chicago-Illinois-IL-1933-768x485.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Official-Souvenir-Worlds-Fair-Expo-Japanese-Tea-Hall-Chicago-Illinois-IL-1933-1024x647.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2019\/01\/Official-Souvenir-Worlds-Fair-Expo-Japanese-Tea-Hall-Chicago-Illinois-IL-1933.jpg 1435w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\" \/> exhibitions under the theme of \u00a0<b>Asian Architecture\u00a0<\/b>(illustrated here by the exhibitions\u00a0<i>Tracing the Japanese Pavilion at the\u00a01893 World\u2019s Columbian Exposition\u00a0in Chicago<\/i>, by Alice Tseng; and\u00a0<i>Modernism and \u2018Authentic Architecture\u2019 at the 1935 Taiwan Colonial Exposition<\/i>, by Meng-Hsuan Lee);\u00a0<b>Asian Dance\u00a0<\/b>(which includes\u00a0<i>The Moving Image of Asia<\/i>\u00a0by Cathy Yeh, which explores<i>\u00a0<\/i>the interplay of Asian and modern Western dance at the 1900 Paris world\u2019s fair); and\u00a0<b>Religion<\/b>\u00a0(illustrated here by David Eckel\u2019s presentation,\u00a0<i>Asian Voices at the World\u2019s Parliament of Religions<\/i>, which took place at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893). In the coming months we will be completing two exhibitions under the theme of Cultural Diplomacy: Chenguang Zhu\u2019s analysis of the Chinese Fisheries exhibit at the International Fisheries Exposition in London in 1883, and Ronald Po\u2019s study of the diplomatic and economic importance of the Chinese Fisheries exhibition at L&#8217;Esposizione Internazionale del Sempione in Milan in 1906. Additional themes and exhibitions will come online in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span>We welcome your comments and suggestions, especially suggestions of\u00a0 additional themes and case studies for inclusion! Please contact us at &lt;<a href=\"mailto:remurow@bu.edu\" data-linkindex=\"1\" title=\"mailto:remurow@bu.edu\">remurow@bu.edu<\/a>&gt; or &lt;<a href=\"mailto:yeh@bu.edu\" data-linkindex=\"2\" title=\"mailto:yeh@bu.edu\">yeh@bu.edu<\/a>&gt;.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"content-container\">\n<article role=\"main\" id=\"post-5\" class=\"post-5 page type-page status-publish hentry\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/asian\/files\/2020\/04\/Danses-cambodgiennes-dans-le-temple-dAngkor-proce\u0301de\u0301-en-couleurs-Finlay-d-650x456.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"389\" class=\"wp-image-12452 aligncenter\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2020\/04\/Danses-cambodgiennes-dans-le-temple-dAngkor-proce\u0301de\u0301-en-couleurs-Finlay-d-650x456.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2020\/04\/Danses-cambodgiennes-dans-le-temple-dAngkor-proce\u0301de\u0301-en-couleurs-Finlay-d-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/files\/2020\/04\/Danses-cambodgiennes-dans-le-temple-dAngkor-proce\u0301de\u0301-en-couleurs-Finlay-d.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-align: center;\">Join us as we explore\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.asiaworldsfairs.org\"><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Asia at the World\u2019s Fairs<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are pleased to announce the launch of Asia at the World\u2019s Fairs: An Online Exhibition of Cultural Exchange &nbsp; Beginning with the earliest international exhibition at London\u2019s \u201cCrystal Palace\u201d in 1851, \u201cworld\u2019s fairs\u201d became a prominent stage for the presentation of peoples and cultures of Asia to a world audience. With its rich, vibrant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6625,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":27,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12430"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6625"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12430"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17137,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12430\/revisions\/17137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/asian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}