The Puxian Opera was performed on the stage of China Media Groups 2023 Spring Festival Gala. This marks the first time that this opera style has taken the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, bringing the long-lasting art form to a global audience. Performers present the traditional Puxian Opera "Haishen Mazu" (Sea Goddess) on stage. （Photo：CFPThe Puxian Opera has a long history and can trace its origin back to the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279) in Fujian Province. The opera was later popularized over time, and now there are more than 5,000 plays preserved in modern day times.Performers present traditional Puxian Opera "Ta San Xing" on stage, which tells the romantic story of how a young man and a young woman fell in love in ancient times. The rich tunes of Puxian Opera tell many ancient stories and folk tales, reflecting the lifestyle and values of ancient people. The opera is sung in a Fujian dialect by performers and is accompanied by stage performances inspired by puppet shows. Its long history and rich cultural values have made Puxian Opera "a living fossil of the opera of South China."Puxian Opera is performed at a culture exchange event in Thailand. Puxian Opera was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of China in 2006. With more people taking interest in the Puxian Opera in recent years, the cultural heritage is under better protection. There are hundreds of Puxian Opera troupes in Fujian, and opera fans can easily get show tickets both online and offline.
Xinghuacun Fenjiu executives show their high-end product at a recent reception held in Milan, Italy, to ring in the Chinese Lunar New Year. PHOTO BY WEN ZHAOYAN/FOR CHINA DAILY Guests celebrated the historical connection between Chinese liquor and Italy at a recent reception held in Milan by the Q
Stilts walking, or Cai Gao Qiao in Chinese, is a popular traditional folk performance often seen during the Spring Festival. It can be seen at circuses or parades across China, and has the auspicious meaning of having one step up in the new year, standing tall, and raising yourself to the top. Stilts walking is an intangible cultural heritage item that has a long history in the country. Its believed that the practice started with ancient Chinese people using stilts to harvest fruits on trees and fishing in ponds. The practical use of stilts was later developed into an art form with brightly-colored costumes, make-up, and even acrobatic moves.Stilts walking performance at Spring Festival celebrations at Nanjings Town Gods Temple. (Photo: CFP)As a popular folk-art form, many of the stilt walkers are not professional dancers. Instead, stilt-walking is an inherited skill they learned as it was passed on from generation to generation. Part-time stilts performers practice intensively prior to the Spring Festival and perform during the festivities, while professional performers usually require a high degree of acrobatic skill that allows them to carry out stunts, cartwheels, and even dance moves on these high stilts.Some stilt walkers perform stunts at Taierzhuang ancient town in Shandong Province. (Photo: CFP)These stilts are usually made from wood and are tied tightly to the performers calves before they stand up. There are various heights to the stilts: the lowest being less than half a meter long, and the highest can reach up to 2.5 meters long. Performers can be seen constantly waving their arms or waving fans to keep balance.Performers wave fans to keep balance on stilts. (Photo: CFP)During the 2023 Spring Festival Gala presented by China Media Group, an acrobatic show titled "Me and Grandpa Walking on Stilts" impressed global audiences with children showing off their stilt-walking skills, bringing the joyful atmosphere of the Sprin...
BEIRUT, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Rachid Karami International Fair (RKIF) located in Lebanons northern city of Tripoli has been officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger, Lebanons Council of Ministers said Wednesday.The Rachid Karami International Fair. (Photo: Courtesy of UNESCO)"This is a special achievement for Lebanon and all the Lebanese, and primarily for the city of Tripoli. We are proud of the presence of this architectural masterpiece on its land," the Council of Ministers said in a statement.It expressed hopes that the RKIF would receive the international attention and continued support of UNESCO, which contributes to its restoration and preservation.The RKIF was designed in 1962 by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer to house a permanent international fair capable of accommodating up to 2 million visitors a year, including a grand exhibition hall, a national pavilion and an outdoor concert stage.It is Lebanons sixth monument to enter the UNESCO World Heritage List.
BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- As the 2023 Spring Festival holiday progresses into its fifth day on Wednesday, Chinas domestic film market continues to flourish.Statistics from Chinas box office tracker Maoyan showed that, as of Wednesday morning, the total box office for new movies screened during the Spring Festival holiday had passed the 4 billion yuan (591 million U.S. dollars) threshold.Of the films opened during the holiday, the animated fantasy film "Deep Sea" had generated a total box office of nearly 217 million yuan. The family-friendly "Boonie Bears: Guardian Code" took third place on the holiday box office chart with over 417 million yuan of box office revenue.As the latest work of director Tian Xiaopeng, who in 2015 presented the beloved "Monkey King: Hero is Back," "Deep Sea" showcases the wonderful and colorful deep sea adventure of a young girl.According to the producers of the film, "Deep Sea" is the first film to fully utilize the "particle Chinese painting" technology, recreating the aesthetic of traditional Chinese painting with three-dimensional particle animation.The visual spectacles the film presents were cheered by audiences. "The effects are truly breathtaking. It felt like a tour in the colorful deep blue sea," said a movie-goer surnamed Su.Story-wise, different from previous animated blockbusters, which are mostly inspired by classic Chinese folk tales, "Deep Sea" features an original story about an ordinary girl. "I hope Chinese animations can focus on common folks like this film so that audiences can feel more related to the story," Su said.Combining cutting-edge technologies and profound storytelling, "Deep Sea" appeals more to devoted grown-up fans of domestic animations. "Boonie Bears: Guardian Code" on the other hand, aims to bring laughter and joy to the entire family."Guardian Code" is the sixth "Boo...
The multiverse-skipping sci-fi indie hit "Everything Everywhere All at Once" led nominations to the 95th Academy Awards as Hollywood heaped honors on big-screen spectacles like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" a year after a streaming service won best picture for the first time.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinas homemade sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth II" opened Sunday, the Chinese Lunar New Years Day, in a limited theatrical release in North America.Photo: XinhuaThe much-anticipated prequel to Chinas all-time highest-grossing sci-fi epic "The Wandering Earth," also directed by Guo Fan, is being released in Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles in more than 120 theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and other major cities across the United States and Canada.Starring Andy Lau, Wu Jing and Li Xuejian, the prequel tells the story of mankind building enormous engines to propel Earth to a new solar system as the sun is rapidly burning out.Also on Sunday, the film came out in China with an impressive debut of 600 million yuan (88.44 million U.S. dollars), according to Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform Maoyan."The Wandering Earth," released in 2019, is the fifth highest-grossing non-English film in the world of all time, earning nearly 700 million dollars worldwide.
A Chinese New Years Eve classic for families across China and around the world, the 40-year-old Spring Festival Evening Gala, presented by China Media Group (CMG), kicked off on Saturday night with various high-tech twists.The official 2023 Spring Festival Gala logo and mascot, "Tu Yuanyuan," appear during the gala. (Photo: CMG)The Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," has been a must-watch event for Chinese New Year celebrations since its premier in 1983. Broadcast live in 8K Ultra HD and mixed with 3D Color Sound, the five-hour-long show featured singing, dancing, cross talks, short plays, acrobatics, Peking Opera and other kinds of performances to viewers worldwide.The shows mascot, "Tu Yuanyuan," has gained affection since the day it was released. It was the first original digital character designed from internet data analysis in the shows 40 years of history.In order to integrate the mascot with performances, the production team deployed five AR cameras and motion capture technology based on 5G and AI analysis. The team also enhanced the rendering technology with stronger computer power for the mascot so that the hair of the rabbit was bouncier and closer to reality.This years stage design was unique for its inclusion of an interactive art installation above the studio hall.Inspired by the evolution and reconstruction of the four-petal flower structure, the art installation is not only rooted in the aesthetics of the Chinese civilization but also reflects the presence of modern design concepts."We would like to pursue a simple and graceful style in designing the art installation above the main studio hall and deliver immersive visual effects for the audience, with the use of over 60,000 LED lights," said Zou Wei, deputy chief director of the gala.An art installation functioning as a "clock" in the main studio hall implies the passage of time through the image of "Bao Xiang Hua,&...
The annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala offered people a unique and warm cultural feast on Saturday. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cnOn Saturday, the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala was successfully held, offering a unique and warm cultural feast for Chinese people across the world.This year marks
Xu Haixia (center), a maker of Chinese pancakes in Mengyin county of Linyi, Shandong province, has turned her specialty into an edible art form. (Photo provided to China Daily)Whimsical art creations appeal to the eye and you can eat them if you want to.As Spring Festival approaches, Xu Haixia, 53 - a maker of Chinese pancakes in Mengyin county of Linyi, Shandong province -becomes a master artist in high demand for her three-dimensional pancake flowers and other creations.Last year, Xu copied world-famous paintings using pancakes,including Vincent van Goghs Sunflowers, and won many fans.Ahead of the holiday, pancake flower sales have tripled, Xu said, as people buy baskets of the intricate edible art for relatives and friends.Her work is both appetizing and appealing to the eye, she said.Xu has been making pancakes - a thin paperlike food made of grain -for 15 years."Pancakes are a staple food for three meals a day in our village, so I chose to make and sell pancakes,"she said.Her business is going well as she continues to innovate and present new pancake products.Pancakes are the signature snack locally, and yellow peaches grow in abundance. Virtually every family has peach trees, so Xu tried to make peach-flavored pancakes."At the beginning, I used big crunchy peaches, but those pancakes didnt taste good," she said.Then she added more peaches,only to find that the pancakes were hard to flip. At last, she tried squishy, ripe fruit and the peachy pancakes came to life."So far, I have made more than 50 flavors of pancakes using fruits and vegetables,"she said.Her pancake products come in several natural colors, depending on the ingredient, such as dragon fruit, red jujube, pumpkin, black sesame seed, celery and, of course,peaches.Four years ago, thinking about all those colors, she got the idea of making pancake flowers."I loved to embroider flowers when I worked in an embroidery factory, so I wondered whether I could ma...
Pei Aimin draws at home. She published her diaries about northwestern Chinese rural life in September. (Photo provided to China Daily)As a young woman, Pei Aimin, now 49, hid her natural gift for writing, hoping nobody in her farming village would notice and accuse her of a lack of devotion to work and family.That was the way of things when Pei was young in Shangxin village in Minqin county of Wuwei, Gansu province, and in similar places in China. In the past, girls often dropped out of school at an early age to follow a long-established pattern: They married and settled in to the regular routines of rural life.A few, like Pei, however, yearned for the beauty and breadth of a wider world and looked for ways to express themselves. She sought solace in literature and in the process discovered her own ability to write.After her marriage, she had to create secret opportunities. Sometimes she would water useless land just so she could read or write outdoors without being observed. Sometimes she sat under a tree, expressing her feelings on a pad of paper about the running water and warbling birds - until somebody approached, and she would hurriedly hide the papers and pen."Few women in my village could read or write," Pei said. "All my family members thought it was a bad idea -a waste of time," Pei said. "People gossiped about me, saying the daughter-in-law of the Chen family is a nut."After "sneaking around" reading and writing for years, Pei surprised everyone in September by publishing a book of her own work. She touched thousands of people with her simple words and drawings.The book, Diary of Aunt Vole, is a collection of 365 short diary entries that describe the natural scenery of the northwestern Chinese countryside during the four seasons, the daily routine of the local people, interesting things that happened in the village or how life has changed.A reader commented on Sina Weibo: "We finally have a book about farmers...
Tons of waste dumped in poorly regulated riverside landfills or directly into the waterways that flow across three countries end up accumulating behind a trash barrier in the Drina River in eastern Bosnia during the wet weather of winter and early spring.Aerial view of waste floating in the Drina river near Visegrad, Bosnia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (Photo: AP)This week, the barrier once again became the outer edge of a massive floating waste dump crammed with plastic bottles, rusty barrels, used tires, household appliances, driftwood and other garbage picked up by the river from its tributaries.The river fencing installed by a Bosnian hydroelectric plant, a few kilometers upstream from its dam near Visegrad, has turned the city into an unwilling regional waste site, local environmental activists complain.Heavy rain and unseasonably warm weather over the past week have caused many rivers and streams in Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro to overflow, flooding the surrounding areas and forcing scores of people from their homes. Temperatures dropped in many areas on Friday as rain turned into snow.“We had a lot of rainfall and torrential floods in recent days and a huge inflow of water from (the Drina’s tributaries in) Montenegro which is now, fortunately, subsiding,” said Dejan Furtula of the environmental group Eko Centar Visegrad“Unfortunately, the huge inflow of garbage has not ceased,” he added.The Drina River runs 346 kilometers (215 miles) from the mountains of northwestern Montenegro through Serbia and Bosnia. and some of its tributaries are known for their emerald color and breathtaking scenery. A section along the border between Bosnia and Serbia is popular with river rafters when its not “garbage season.”Some 10,000 cubic meters (more than 353,000 cubic feet) of waste are estimated to have amassed behind the Drina River trash barrier in recent days, Furtula said. The same amount was pulled in recent years from that area of the river.Removing the garbage takes...
Zhu Hengbin portrays a porter. (Photo by Huang Leran/China Daily)Visitors to agricultural or food-related fairs in Sichuan province may happen to see a 51-year-old dressed as an ancient porter carrying tea along the ancient Tea Horse Road.With a large bag slung over his back and wearing sandals, Zhu Hengbin uses a cane to support himself now and then to rest. He appeals to interested onlookers,who ask him to pose for pictures.Zhus image as a poor porter is so vivid that visitors might think someone hired him to perform. In fact, he is a farmer from Maodouba village in Wuxian town, Yingjing county of Yaan, Sichuan province,who took the initiative to play the role to promote the ancient Tea Horse Road culture and tap the tea market.Since ancient times, Yaan has been the place where people pass from inland areas to the Tibet autonomous region. The city is rich in tea, and Tibetans of old drank a lot of it after eating beef and mutton.Thats why the historical porters walked from Yaan to Tibet. They wore sandals and carried bags of tea weighing 100 to 150 kilograms.When they got tired, they leaned on their canes to help support the heavy bags and rest for a while. When they were hungry, they ate some dry food brought from home.The Tea Horse Road got its name from the longtime ancient trade of tea for Tibetan horses, which were valued for military use. A steady stream of porters delivered the tea to Tibet.With easy transport facilities,nowadays, porters carrying tea on the ancient Tea Horse Road can no longer be found. They have been forgotten by many.Helping people remember the porters has been Zhus mission. He plays the role perfectly and has been called "the last porter on the Tea Horse Road".Before 2010, Zhu often made his way through the deep mountains of Yaan in search of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. He then contracted for unused land on which to grow them. He was also an herb broker, buying and selling, an...
Apps for old people. (Photo by Liu Chen/China Daily)Chatting with friends through WeChat videos and sharing travel photos on the app has become a routine for Feng Jun since she went to Beijing from Liaoning province to look after her grandson six years ago.The 72-year-old, who is open to internet products, has even learned to use WeChat to send red envelopes containing cash gifts to relatives and shop for herself.However, she was recently a bit confused by the app, as she found that every time she finished buying something on WeChat, she would receive a text message noting her bank card was charged, which had never happened after she put the money in her WeChat wallet."In the beginning, I tried to figure out the problem by myself, instead of disturbing my son, as hes busy with work. But I failed after studying the app for a long time, so I had to turn to him," she said.The problem was actually simple.She had previously asked her son to help transfer 3,000 yuan ($440) to a relative through her mobile phone,but because her WeChat wallet balance was insufficient, her son bound her bank card to the app and later did not unbind it."For many users of the app, this might not be a problem. But for me and my generation, thats complicated and a challenge," she said,calling for the app operator to make functions easier to use for the elderly.Feng is not alone. In 2021, 18.9 percent of the Chinese population was 60 and over, and more than 11.5 percent of the 1.3 billion netizens were in the age group, according to the National Health Commission and the China Internet Network Information Center.In a questionnaire conducted by the China Consumers Association issued in December, 61.4 percent of 1,926 participants said they used apps every day, mainly covering social, news, photo, navigation,healthcare, entertainment, payment and catering.More than 70 percent of participants demanded apps be simplified, the association said, adding that larger font s...
This photo taken on Jan. 16, 2023 shows a first-day cover with the stamps marking the Year of the Rabbit at Hungarys Stamp Museum in Budapest, Hungary. A commemorative postage stamp marking the Chinese Lunar New Year (2023, Year of the Rabbit) was issued here on Monday. (Photo: Xinhua)BUDAPEST, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A cultural event featuring Chinese music performances, calligraphy, and folk customs was held here on Friday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.The event, hosted by the China Cultural Center in Budapest, took place in the bustling Allee Shopping Center in downtown Budapest.Locals were able to grasp the festive vibes of the traditional Chinese festival by taking part in some immersive activities, including making Chinese paper-cutting and Chinese knots.Artists also performed the traditional Chinese lion dance and folk songs such as "Jasmine Flower," which offered the local audience a glimpse into traditional Chinese culture.Earlier this week, Hungarys Stamp Museum issued a rabbit-themed postage stamp marking the 2023 Chinese New Year, the Year of Rabbit.
NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Well-known landmarks in New York City have been lit in red in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year which falls on Jan. 22 this year.Huang Ping (L), Chinese Consul General in New York, and Tony Malkin (C), chairman, president, and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, jointly kick off ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building in New York, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2023. The Empire State Building kicked off its Lunar New Year celebrations Friday morning with ceremonial lighting and unveiling of its Fifth Avenue Window Exhibition. (Photo: Xinhua)The Empire State Building kicked off its Lunar New Year celebrations Friday morning with ceremonial lighting and unveiling of its Fifth Avenue Window Exhibition."We are so pleased to extend our heartfelt New Years wishes to the entire Chinese community here in the United States, around the world and especially in China," said Tony Malkin, chairman, president and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, at the ceremony."This is an extra special Lunar New Year lighting ceremony as it is the first one we have been able to hold in person, live in three years," added Malkin."Spring Festival is a moment we transfer from one zodiac to another. Were still in the Year of the Tiger. This year is very important ... because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the China-U.S. re-engagement," said Huang Ping, Chinese Consul General in New York.Speaking at the lighting ceremony, Huang said the re-engagement 50 years ago led to the normalization of China-U.S. relationship which delivered greatly.Huang noted that people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States was boosted in the past 50 years and more than 5 million people flew across the Pacific each year before the pandemic.Huang stressed the importance of enhancing the people-to-people exchanges which was interrupted by the deterioration of the bilateral relationship and the pandemic.The Chinese Con...
Atraditionalperformanceatthepressconference.PhotoprovidedtoChinaDailyThegovernmentofLuzhoucity,Sichuanprovince,heldamediaconferenceinBeijingonThursdaytopromotetheearlyspringteaofNaxidistrict,withtraditionalperformancesandateaceremony。
Chinas permanent delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a 2023 Chinese New Year reception at its headquarters on Wednesday evening.Yang Jin, permanent representative of China to UNESCO, speaks at a 2023 Chinese New Year reception at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, January 18, 2023. (Photo: People.cn)This was the first time that China held a Chinese New Year reception at UNESCO headquarters since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delegation said.Yang Jin, permanent representative of China to UNESCO, extended his New Year greetings to all the guests."Stepping into the New Year of the Rabbit, we wish to strengthen our collaboration and friendship with you all to better practice true multilateralism and to further contribute together to UNESCOs great endeavors," Yang said.After three years of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that China is regaining its momentum and ready to work hand in hand with peoples across the world to create an even brighter future for humanity.Firmin Edouard Matoko, assistant director-general of the Africa department of UNESCO, said that UNESCO is grateful to China for actively participating in all their ground-breaking initiatives, notably in response to COVID-19.He said the strategic relationship between China and UNESCO has reached a higher level, which is "the result of everyones joint efforts with goodwill.""Let us look forward with optimism to the year ahead, a year in which international cooperation and multilateralism will bring more prosperity and hope to the world, to UNESCO and to China," he said.More than 300 delegates from various countries participated in the event. While enjoying Chinese delicacies, they watched a live performance of Chinese folksongs, including Mayila, Harvest Gongs and Drums and Moonlight on the Spring River.
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