By Rabi Sankar Bosu, Indian freelance contributor to Chinese media outlets
The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which falls on February 16 this year, is the most illustrious and recognized festival in the nation. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. In recent years, celebrations of China's Lunar New Year have been gaining global popularity, reflecting the country's growing prominence around the world.
On February 12, 2018 the people of West Bengal had gotten a slice of the extravagant New Year celebrations at a Chinese Cultural Show at Kala Mandir Auditorium, Kolkata. The event was organized by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China to reinvigorate the Indo-Sino friendship.
Over 2000 were in the audience, which included local art and culture lovers, students and teachers of schools and universities, overseas Chinese community and local Chinese enterprises, and all the staff with the Consulate attended the gala show. The event witnessed dance performances, acrobats, vocal performances and so much more.
Thousand-hands Bodhisattva
The evening was filled with distinctive dances and acrobatics performances by artists from Liuzhou Arts Theater of Guangxi (Zhuang Autonomous Region) of China and Guangxi Acrobatic Troupe Co. Ltd. The show started with the Group Dance "New Year Greetings," which had enthralled the audience with their delighting performance accompanied with cheerful and enthusiastic music wishing everyone a happy and healthy life for the New Year.
Flowers Bloom in the Rain
Solo Song- "Look Like a Snowflake" sung by male singer, Shi Te won the hearts of the audience. Singer Chen Ying conquered the hearts and minds of those in attendance with her "Young Girl of India" and "The Mayella Variations" solo song performances. The "The Mayella Variations" uses a strong Kazakh folk song showing the image of a charming young girl, which had left deep impressions on the audience. Old performer Huang Yong charmed audiences using five different folk instruments. He won applause from the audience when he played the folk music, "Song of Lazi" from Indian film "The Trump."
Performers from the Liuzhou Arts Theater of Guangxi of China fascinated the Bengal people with distinctive dances, such as "Blooming of Jasmine", "Flowers Bloom in the Rain", "Thousand-hands Bodhisattva" and "Spirit of the Water." Performances by Guangxi Acrobatic Troupe Co. Ltd mesmerized the audience with their stunning skills like "Magic Cube" and "Ballet on Shoulders."
Magic Cube
Before the performances, Consul General Ma Zhanwu thanked the audience for their presence and gave them best wishes for the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog. He also outlined the basics of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern part of China, which is a well-cultivated region, and an area where traditional Chinese culture has been preserved and rejuvenated. He hoped the audience will contribute more to better relations between Guangxi and West Bengal and for China-India relations as a whole, and encouraged them to visit Guangxi and other places in China as well.
Consul General Ma Zhanwu and the guests
After the show, Consul General Ma, Deputy Consul General Cai Zhifeng and staff members of the Consulate presented bouquets to the artists and thanked them for their excellent performance. A large number of the audience had approached the stage to express their admiration for Chinese artists. They also thanked the Chinese Consulate for bringing splendid Chinese artistic performance to West Bengal.
Surely, the "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations in West Bengal can be an excellent base for expanding cultural exchanges and enhancing understanding between India and China.
(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com)
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