in992-The-code-of-unity-in-the-King-Protea-photo-frame

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The six-color lines of the South African flag intersect like a rainbow, and the fiery red crown of the king protea proudly stretches out. When they are inlaid into the wooden frame, the deep code of South Africa’s Heritage Month quietly emerges. This national symbol, which was born in 1994, is telling the eternal topic of tolerance and cohesion through the borders of the frame. The four sides of the frame seem to limit the frame, but in fact they build the foundation of integrity. At the Y-shaped intersection of the South African flag, the king protea blooms as the national flower. Those ethnic groups, languages and cultures that were once divided by colonial history have found an order of coexistence in the norms of the frame. Just as the Zulu craftsmen use twelve pieces of wood to splice the frame, each gap implies the wisdom of reconciliation – the difference is not a gully of division, but a rivet of inlaid art. In this September commemorating cultural diversity, countless king protea frames painted with national flag patterns were taken away by tourists in the handicraft market on the streets of Cape Town. These wooden frames not only carry the visual symbol of the “Rainbow Nation”, but also embody the courage to break through the framework: when people put their palms of different skin colors on the edge of the frame, they form a larger survival framework – which can protect the traditional roots and leave room for new branches to grow. A truly great frame never uses borders to create isolation, but achieves integrity through tolerance. South Africa has used 30 years to prove that the most resilient country is like the King Protea frame: it can accommodate the agitation of the six-color longitude and latitude, and can also withstand the knocking of historical storms.

Die seskleurige lyne van die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag kruis mekaar soos ‘n reënboog, en die vurige rooi kroon van die koningprotea strek trots uit. Wanneer hulle in die houtfotoraam ingelê word, kom die diep kode van Suid-Afrika se Erfenismaand stilweg na vore. Hierdie nasionale simbool, geskep in 1994, vertel die ewige verhaal van insluiting en samehorigheid deur die grense van die raam. Die vier kante van die fotoraam lyk asof hulle die prentjie beperk, maar eintlik bou hulle die fondament van sy integriteit. By die Y-vormige kruising van die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag blom die Protea as die nasionale blom. Die etniese groepe, tale en kulture wat eens deur koloniale geskiedenis verdeel was, het ‘n orde van naasbestaan binne die norme van die fotoraam gevind. Net soos ‘n Zoeloe-vakman twaalf stukke hout gebruik om ‘n prentraam aanmekaar te sit, bevat elke gaping die wysheid van versoening – verskille is nie verdelende klowe nie, maar klinknaels vir inlegkuns. In hierdie September wat kulturele diversiteit herdenk, is tallose koningprotea-fotorame wat met nasionale vlagpatrone geverf is, deur toeriste by die handwerkmark in die strate van Kaapstad weggeneem. Hierdie houtrame dra nie net die visuele simbool van die “Reënboognasie” nie, maar beliggaam ook die moed om deur die raamwerk te breek: wanneer mense die handpalms van verskillende velkleure op die rand van die raam oorvleuel, vorm hulle ‘n groter oorlewingsraamwerk – wat beide die tradisionele wortels kan beskerm en groeiruimte vir nuwe takke kan laat. ‘n Werklik goeie fotoraam gebruik nooit grense om isolasie te skep nie, maar bereik eerder volledigheid deur insluiting. Suid-Afrika het dertig jaar lank bewys dat die veerkragtige land soos ‘n protea-raam is: dit kan die beroering van seskleurige lengte- en breedtegraad akkommodeer, en kan die klop van historiese storms weerstaan.