China's Lingnan cultural show held in New Zealand

An opera artist from south China's Guangdong Province presents a performance showcasing the charm of China's Lingnan culture at the National Museum of New Zealand in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 25, 2024. This cultural promotion event was jointly held by the China International Cultural Association, the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the China Cultural Center in Wellington, and co-organized by the Federation of the Chinese Association of New Zealand. It aims to promote exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations between China and New Zealand. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)

Artists from Guangdong Province, southern China, showcased the charm of China's Lingnan culture to New Zealanders at the National Museum of New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday evening.

This cultural promotion event was jointly held by the China International Cultural Association, the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the China Cultural Center in Wellington, and co-organized by the Federation of the Chinese Association of New Zealand. It aims to promote exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations between China and New Zealand.

At the beginning of the event, five inheritors of intangible cultural heritage from Guangdong presented a unique performance, including the Lingnan school of Guqin art, Chaozhou Kung Fu tea art, Canton Porcelain, and art of Dongguan agarwood incense.

The performances also featured Chinese folk musical instrument performance, Chinese folk song and dance, attracting more than 200 people. At the final of the show, the audience cheered and applauded in ovation for the artists' performance.

A Wellington citizen who named herself only as Barbara told Xinhua that this has been the largest Chinese cultural event ever held in Wellington since COVID-19, and the whole show was "amazing" and "impressive". The programs about Chinese tea especially broadened her horizon as a tea lover.

"China is the hometown of tea and the birthplace of the tea culture in the world," she said, "I truly immersed in the profoundness of Chinese tea culture in this event."

Zhang Yimin, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said it is exciting to be here to engage in friendly exchanges by enjoying tea and artistic performances.

He hoped this event will help New Zealanders gain a deeper understanding of Guangdong's culture and tourism, further promote cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and New Zealand, and inject vitality into the long-term friendly exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations between China and New Zealand.

Guangdong Province is the heart of Lingnan culture, the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, and a pioneer in China's reform and opening-up. The province is working together with Hong Kong and Macao to build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) into a world-class tourism destination, Zhang added.