(Huangshan) After traveling along the "Grand Canal" of thousands years of history, the 2008 "BMW China Culture Journey" fleet successfully reached its destination Huizhou (now Huangshan city) yesterday. Huizhou is an important preservation place for the "Four Scholarly Treasures" and contains the essence of Chinese civilization. Today, 2008 "BMW China Culture Journey" Huangshan Donation Ceremony was held in Huizhou Cultural Museum in Huangshan city. Mr. Zhang Qingshan, Deputy-Director of Chinese National Academy of Arts • Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, Mr. Karl-Heinz Schmid, President of BMW China Automotive Trading Company Ltd., Ms. Yang Guo, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department of Anhui Province, experts and scholars of cultural heritage as well as media representatives attended the event.

Huizhou: A Preservation Place for "Four Scholarly Treasures"

The "Four Scholarly Treasures", namely "Writing Brush, Ink, Paper, Ink-Slab," are the major carriers of Chinese civilization from generation to generation. They are also China's important contribution to world civilization. Today's Huangshan city in Anhui Province was formerly known as ancient Huizhou/ancient Xin-an. The unique natural, geographical and historical characteristics of this place have given birth to the extensive and profound culture of Xin-an, of which the most far-reaching impact cultural items are the Huizhou "Four Scholarly Treasures." Huizhou's geographical location, rich natural resources provided unique raw materials to the four treasures. Combined with excellent craftsmanship, the "four Scholarly Treasures" of Huizhou have won their reputation worldwide, and have played an important role in civilization and culture inheritance.

The donation items of "BMW China Culture Journey" in Huangshan, namely She Ink-slab, Hui Ink-stick are pre-eminent examples of "four Scholarly Treasures" in Huizhou. The She Ink-slab and Hui Ink-stick all date back to Tang Dynasty. The perfect combination of stone materials and carving skills brought world-wide fame to She ink-slab. Hui ink-stick is a precious treasure in China. It is as hard as jade and exudes a pleasant scent. But ever since the 20th century, a lack of both raw materials and successors have created a looming future, calling for timely protection on a large scale for the two intangible cultural treasures.

Mr. Karl-Heinz Schmid, President of BMW China Automotive Trading Company Ltd. said, "Anhui is a place famous for its prosperity of literature and home to numbers of talents across different generations. The raise of Hui Merchants during the Ming and Qing Dynasties has especially promoted the cultural development in this region. The respectful Confucian businessmen spirit has generated great prosperity and splendid culture along the Grand Canal, while promoting the ‘Four Scholarly Treasures' for the benefit of all mankind. Yesterday we witnessed the superb craftsmanship of the She Ink-slab's carving techniques, which dates back to the Tang Dynasty, as well as the excelling nature of Hui ink. We were therefore able to fully appreciate the charm of the "Four Scholarly Treasures". We sincerely hope that the donation will enhance the protection and inheritance of these valuable cultural treasures. "

Ms. Yang Guo, Director of Cultural Affairs Department of Anhui said, "Anhui is renowned for its beautiful mountains, rivers as well as splendid culture. Diversity, wide distribution, long history, affecting a wide range of area, high cultural value are the major characteristics of the Huizhou Intangible Cultural Heritage. In order to fully protect these cultural treasures, the Ministry of Culture has established 'Huizhou culture experimental ecological protection zone'. Under the instruction of the Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, we've been innovating protection concept and transmission mode as well as expanding the inheriting channels, and has achieved fruitful results. The protection to cultural heritages calls for efforts from all walks of life. Today, as the world's premier auto maker, BMW has set up a pre-eminent example in cultural heritage protection. We hope that more and more companies with sense of social responsibility to illustrate the splendor of modern Confucian businessmen."

Another donation item in Huangshan is the Hui Opera composed of a brilliant chapter of Xin-an culture. After the doantion ceremony, all the guests and media were feasted with a great momentum and delicate euphemism performance of the Hui Opera. The Hui Opera boasts a history of over 300 hundred years, and has nurtured and influenced over 10 local operas. The Hui Opera artists who moved to Beijing 200 years ago created the brilliance history of Peking Opera, and made significant contributions in the development of Chinese operas. The donation from BMW will be mainly used for the protection and inheritance of Hui Opera.

Protecting Cultural Heritage: An Everlasting Journey

Based on the cooperation between BMW China, BMW Brilliance Automotive and PCICH, 2008 "BMW China Culture Journey" has been listed as one of the main events of China's "Cultural Heritage Day". The culture journey fleet embarked on a journey from Beijing on Oct. 14th, and traveled through Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the starting point of the Canal, and finally reached the destination Huangshan in Anhui province. Along the journey, the fleet has contributed donations of 1 million RMB in total to the Ancient Zither, the Three Unique Handicrafts in Gaomi, Wood Block Printing, Suzhou Ping-tan, Jiangnan Si-zhu, Hangzhou Ping-ci, the Grand Canal Museum, Hui Ink-Stick, She Ink-Slab and Hui Opera.

Mr. Zhang Qingshan, Deputy-Director of Chinese National Academy of Arts • Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China said, "It is a memorable journey. We have joined hands with BMW to explore so many cultural heritages items. It has been an experience beyond words. It is the first time the intangible cultural heritage protection authoritative institution of Chinese government has joined hands with an enterprise to launch such a large scale intangible cultural heritage protection event, and it will have far-reaching impact in encouraging social participation in intangible cultural heritage protection. We believe this new mode will disseminate information and messages regarding the protection of China's material and non-material cultural heritage and generate public awareness to the significance of cultural protection in promoting the country's cultural ‘soft power'".

BMW and PCICH will also jointly hold an achievement exhibition in the end of this year. The exhibition will collectively present the essential contents of the journey through pictures, videos and relics and share the valuable memories along the Grand Canal with a wider public. At the same time top-grade craftsmen of the visited areas along the journey will be invited to give live performances and provide artwork presentations.

Cultural heritage is a rich asset for all societies, especially in China with thousands of years of history. With a strong desire to pursue a culturally sustainable development, "BMW China Culture Journey" will continue on its mission down a different path each year to provide everlasting contribution. Meanwhile, BMW hopes to attract more and more people to join this great cause of cultural heritage protection, and pass down the solemn commitment: "To Protect Cultural Heritage and Spiritual Home."

As a world-leading automaker, BMW Group attaches high importance to its growth in China and takes a proactive role in the construction of a harmonious society in China. Sustainability has been a core strategy for BMW China and BMW Brilliance. BMW Corporate Social Contribution Activities was officially launched in 2007 and has shown great results. In addition to BMW China Culture Journey in 2008, BMW will also continue to promote Corporate Social Contribution Activities as listed below:

-- BMW Warm-Heart Fund project jointly launched with China Charity Federation to gather more caring forces in support of the reconstruction of the Sichuan Earthquake affected area while providing a platform for other warm-heart events.

-- Liaoning Ballet Tour Show in Dalian, Harbin, Changchun and Shenyang.

-- A five-year "BMW China Scholarship for Outstanding College Students" in cooperation with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation

-- A long-term "BMW Children Transportation Safety Training Camp" for kids aged four to six years, etc.