SANFORD - The rich and ancient cultures of China come alive in "Traditions of China," an exhibition of works by Chinese photographer Yong Xiao hosted Nov. 5-26 by Central Carolina Community College's Confucius Classroom.

Yong Xiao is the deputy director of the Department of Photography of the Xinhua Daily and has been a press photographer for more than 20 years. His photography has won numerous awards. Over the years, Yong has seen globalization overtake Chinese cultural traditions and the marginalization and dying out of many of them.

"It is the responsibility of journalists ... to record and save these traditions before they fade out of people's daily lives," he said.

The public reception for the opening of the exhibition takes place from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, in the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, 1801 Nash St. CCCC Confucius Classroom instructor Ling Huang will give a presentation about Yong. The exhibition runs through Nov. 26 during Civic Center business hours.

"We are delighted to bring this exhibition of Chinese life and traditions to our area," said CCCC President Bud Marchant. "We know the public will enjoy the wonderful insight and observations of life in China as captured by the camera of award-winning photographer Yong Xiao."

Yong's mission to record the old traditions and ways of life took him to many parts of his country. His camera recorded those that survive on the margins of modern China - traditional operas, folk dancing of minority nationalities, traditional houses, and folk crafts.

"Years from now, we may only be able to view these folk crafts in museums," he said, "but we are glad to see that many people have recognized the value of traditional culture, such as kung fu and operas, and have renewed their vitality."

Other traditions and handicrafts, such as hand wooden barrel making and embroidering shoes, are fading away, except where government agencies protect and promote them. His photography preserves visually many that may not survive.

The 36 photos in the show are divided into five categories: Traditional Buildings, Traditional Forms of Entertainment, Traditional Lifestyles in Daily Life, Traditional Handicrafts, and Traditional Methods of Fitness.

Buildings
Some traditional buildings survive in China, either in the countryside or hidden among the high-density residential and commercial buildings that have sprung up in recent years. The exhibition includes pictures of earthen buildings whose origins can be traced back thousands of years.

Entertainment
There are 55 minority nationalities in China. Each has its own unique cultural heritage. Some are being persevered, as depicted in several of the exhibition's photographs, but others are disappearing as younger generations embrace modernization.

Daily Life
In China's cities, people's lifestyles are becoming more and more like those of Americans. Yong's pictures capture some of the traditions that still survive in everyday life, such as the use of herbalists and the woman in a family doing all the cooking.

Handicrafts
China is rapidly becoming industrialized, resulting in many traditional handicrafts dying out. These are not only modes of production, but have historical and cultural value, so the government is protecting and promoting many of them.

Fitness
Chinese fitness methods, such as kung fu and tai chi, have become popular in the West. They remain popular in China, though many have modified the traditional ways because they required long hours of practice.

For more information about Central Carolina Community College's Confucius Classroom, visit www.cccc.edu/confucius.