By ZHENG WANYIN from London and LI MINGMEI from New York | China Daily | Updated: 2024-02-17 07:18
A lion dance will be performed in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday.Stephen Zhang/Xinhua News Agency
On February 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon, blaring drums, gongs and cries echoed through London’s Burlington Arcade as dancers performed the traditional Puning Yingga folk dance to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
This is the first time that Yingge folk dance, a national intangible cultural heritage of China, will be performed in Europe.
Sixteen dancers from the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province, the birthplace of the dance, traveled to London to spread good wishes.
“You can’t see anything like that here,” said a spectator from Cyprus who gave her name as Lucy, who was awed by the ancient dance, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ta.
This year, Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing around the world. In addition to events organized by local institutions, numerous delegations were flown in from China to present an authentic Chinese cultural feast to foreign audiences and introduce China’s various timeless traditions. .
In London’s Trafalgar Square, Lunar New Year events culminated on February 11 with a Northern Chinese-style lion dance performed by acrobats from Sichuan province, jumping on tiered poles.
Lion dances are a staple of Trafalgar Square’s annual Lunar New Year carnival, but the more upbeat, gymnastic North Chinese style is less common here, according to event organizer London Chinatown Chinese Association.
At the end of the celebrations in Trafalgar Square, another spectacle was performed: the bronze beam dragon dance. An 18-metre-tall golden dragon in Chongqing’s Tongliang district has been undulating and moving for the first time in the UK.
Isabella, a British teacher, said: “It’s just a sea of culture. It’s really exciting to see.” “That’s why I wear as much red as possible to bring in as much luck as possible.”
The Chinese delegation expressed pride in having the opportunity to promote Chinese culture abroad and contribute to deepening exchanges between East and West.
“Being able to perform in London is a testament not only to the charm of China’s traditional culture but also to the enduring power of cultural exchange,” said Wu Chen, director of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Division of the Guangdong Provincial Culture and Tourism Bureau. , led the Yingga dance team.
Outside the UK, the art collective Cultures of China, Festival of Spring, made up of well-known Chinese artists, is touring Europe.
In the Spanish capital Madrid, the choir of the Shenzhen Dance Opera House immersed the audience in Chinese folk songs such as “Jasmine Flower” and “Praise of the Eight Horses” at the National Music Auditorium on February 3, according to Xinhua News Agency. .
“I love music, so I love listening to the sounds of other cultures that are very different from ours. They are very melodious sounds,” attendee Marta Gonzalez told Xinhua after the concert. .
In New York, overseas Chinese and local Americans participated in Lunar New Year celebrations in their own ways, integrating with traditional Chinese festival customs and sharing the joy of family reunions.
The US-China Music Institute at the Bard College School of Music, in collaboration with China’s Central Conservatory of Music, holds the 5th Lunar New Year Concert “Sounds of Spring” with Orchestra Now, showcasing authentic contemporary Chinese symphonies did. Music using traditional instruments.
“The Chinese New Year is an occasion to showcase Chinese music,” conductor Cai Jindong told China Daily.
Mr. Tsai is not limited to “ancient” Chinese traditional musical works such as the Spring Festival Overture, but also listens to contemporary Chinese music to get a feel for what Chinese music is like today, He said that the number of people who are interested in culture is increasing. Understand culture more deeply.
Ji Tianyuan introduced the art of Chinese puppetry to an American audience at an event celebrating the Lunar New Year. Traditional performances, usually reserved for events such as Chinese New Year and temple fairs, are now being performed on the streets and museums of New York.
“I noticed that there was a large audience. They really appreciated the craftsmanship, costumes, and movements of the puppets. During the performance, I also wore traditional costumes such as qipao and horse mask skirt. ” she said. “Kids especially love characters like Monkey King and Ci Gong. They think it’s very funny,” she added.