Tang Xianzu International Theater Festival opens in Fuzhou

The opening ceremony of the Tang Xianzu International Theater Festival was held in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province on Sept. 24, with a grand parade as well as various performances.

Born in Fuzhou in 1550, Tang Xianzu was a famous playwright of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), best known for his four plays -- "The Peony Pavilion," "The Purple Hairpin," "Record of the Southern Bough" and "Record of Handan."

The festival will run from Sept. 25 to the end of October. During the period, about 20 domestic and foreign groups from the U.K, Russia, Spain and other countries involved with the Belt and Road Initiative will stage their classical plays and other drama works, providing a feast of enjoyment for audiences in a bid to further promote international cultural exchanges.

Yao Zengke, deputy secretary of Jiangxi Provincial CPC Committee, speaking at the opening ceremony, noted, "Last year marked the 400th death anniversary of Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare, when we held a series of activities to facilitate exchanges between China and the U.K. I hope that this year's international theater arts exchange festival will further enhance our mutual understanding."

"This year's festival also provides a platform for deepening and expanding cultural exchanges between different ethnic groups and different regions. We hope that, by grasping this exchange opportunity, traditional Chinese theater culture will be better presented to the world, and will enrich the human civilization under the Belt and Road Initiative," he added.

Fuzhou has launched a series of programs in recent years to pay tribute to Tang Xianzu and his British contemporary William Shakespeare, including various performances of different countries, photo exhibitions and seminars on cultural inheritance and innovation, in a bid to enhance China-U.K. relations.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the ambassadorial-level diplomatic relationship between China and the U.K. British Ambassador Barbara Woodward sent her wishes to the festival via video.

She pointed out that the U.K. and China had made tremendous achievements in the field of cultural exchanges. And she hoped they could further strengthen the relationship and collaboration in various fields.