Today it was a trip to the wonderfully wide and picturesque Cynon valley, specifically to Saint Elvan’s church, a true gem.
Typical of so many places of worship founded in the mid-nineteenth century and located in the heart of Aberdare, St Elvan's has recently undergone an extensive £2 million renovation. It has reopened its doors as a vibrant new space, free to visit and featuring concert and conference facilities, an exhibition gallery, meeting rooms, heritage tours & talks, an in-house coffee shop called "Spires," an outdoor sun patio and of course, an active place of worship
The interior is magnificently and sympathetically restored. Simplicity is often beautiful in ecclesiastical buildings and this is the key to St. Elvan’s successful restoration and development.
Brilliant white walls draw the eye upwards to the superb wooden vaulted roof. Then the statues, ornaments and iconography add a feast of colour. It really is a beautiful, must visit venue. Yet there is something even more remarkable within.
It’s not just the dragon that links Wales and China. Individual Welshmen and women have long travelled to the Orient as missionaries hoping to spread the word of God and some established vital services in the ancient provinces. People like John Griffiths who, in the later 1800s; built churches, schools and hospitals in Wuhan. These buildings remain in situ to this day.
To celebrate these long-established links, a ‘Here Be Dragons’ exhibition is taking place at St. Elvan’s. The exhibition is a collaboration between The British Museum, London; Hangzhou Yinhu Zhejiang Province of The People's Republic of China and St Elvan's. This month-long exhibition features two pieces loaned from The British Museum collection, by the kind permission of British Museum Director Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE and Trustees of The British Museum
The centrepieces of the exhibition are a large porcelain meiping vase with underglaze blue decoration, made in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, dating from the period 1573-1620. It is a truly beautiful piece and well worth a viewing. A centuries old, delicate, masterfully created vase from another continent, is a must see.
Surrounding these central exhibits is an exhibition of work inspired by the items, created by students of Hangzhou Yinhu Elementary School of Zhejiang Province and local schools within the vicinity of St Elvan's, Wales to celebrate the cultural and the symbolic representations of both nations in dragons.
Available to view daily - FREE - Monday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Diolch yn fawr iawn for the invite. It was a privilege.