HERITAGE FESTIVAL : A tribute to Chinese culture includes an art exhibit, films and cooking classes.

A tribute to the art of everyday objects in Chinese culture begins this weekend when the Palos Verdes Art Center presents “Chinese Symbols and Ceremonies: An Enduring Heritage” in the Beckstrand Gallery.

The exhibit, opening tonight with a public reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the art center, spans centuries of handcrafted folk art and is the centerpiece of the seven-week Chinese Cultural Heritage Festival sponsored by the Art Center and South Bay Chinese organizations.

The festival, which also features lectures, films, field trips, cooking classes, performances and events for children, was developed over 10 months as a collaborative project with the local Chinese community, said Deedee Rechtin , art center program director. It is the center’s sixth festival honoring the culture of one of the South Bay’s ethnic communities.

“We focus on folk art because it’s the most accessible for a broad audience and it deals with universal life experiences and everyday routines,” Rechtin explained. “The ceremonies and symbols may be different but they celebrate things that are common to all cultures.”

The exhibit explores the beauty and craft of textiles, porcelain, brass, leather, wood and clay objects from nine different collections, including works from the Pacific Asia Museum, the Edward Dean Museum of Decorative Arts and the Riverside Municipal Gallery.

The show focuses on utilitarian objects such as an elegant undergarment, constructed of tiny bamboo tubes bound with linen. It was designed to be worn as a thermal garment under summer robes, Rechtin said. The exhibit also features a clay horse head from the Han Dynasty (215 BC-AD 220) and distinctive blue and white porcelain pieces from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The Chinese traditionally overlooked decorative textile and other folk art in favor of revered fine arts such as painting, Rechtin said, but this exhibit demonstrates how objects from peasant and aristocratic life shared motifs and symbolism taken from nature, myth and legend.

A photography show titled “Chinese Folk Costume” will run concurrently in the art center’s Norris Film Gallery, complementing the traditional arts exhibit with images that document the few areas of China where folk costumes are still worn daily, Rechtin said.

The festival’s comprehensive calendar of events exploring Chinese art and culture represents the spirit of the Chinese community, said Kim Wang, chair of the Chinese American Assn. of Southern California. Local individuals and organizations raised $17,000 in less than four months to support the festival, she said.

Other festival highlights include:

* An “Evening of Chinese Performing Arts” featuring Chinese classical and folk music, dance and excerpts from a Peking-style opera. The program, designed for a multicultural audience, will be presented Saturday, April 3, at 8 p.m. at the Norris Theatre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $10.

* Three films by Chinese directors focusing on cultural adaptation. The series begins Friday, March 12, with Peter Wang’s “A Great Wall.” Films will be screened with English subtitles in the art center’s Norris Film Gallery on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $3.

* Classes in the art of Chinese cooking to be taught Saturday, March 20 and March 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is $12 per class and advance reservations are required.

* Guided tours through a Buddhist temple, historic Chinatown and a collection of Chinese antiques. Each tour costs $25 and includes lunch. Reservations are required.

* Lectures covering traditional Chinese architecture, folk art and other topics. Classes meet each Tuesday through March 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Norris Film Gallery. Registration for each class is $7.

* Craft classes for children 6 and older beginning Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The workshops will introduce traditional Chinese folk arts such as silk painting, Chinese paper cutting and basic Chinese brush painting. Class registration is $2.

* Folk tales for children in kindergarten through fourth grade told during library story hours. Readings will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the Peninsula Center Library; on April 13 at Miraleste Library; and on April 20 at Malaga Cove Library. Call libraries to confirm.

For more information on these events call (310) 541-2479. The Art Center is located at 5504 W. Crestridge Road at Crenshaw Boulevard in Rancho Palos Verdes.