10-07-2007

The 7th China International Folk Art Festival Was Rounded off in Beijing 　

Liu Yunshan, Gu Xiulian, Chen Zhili and Li Meng Attended the Closing Ceremony and Watched the Performance

In the Golden October before the convocation of the 17th National Congress of the Party, Beijing was filled with jubilation, and the arrival of foreign artists added more color and vitality to the age-old city. On the evening of October 6th, the closing ceremony of the 7th China International Folk Art Festival was held in the China Grand Theater, which marked that the 7th China International Folk Art Festival, held by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), came to a close successfully.

Among the leaders attending the closing ceremony were Liu Yunshan, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC and Minister of the Publicity Department of CCCPC, Gu Xiulian, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Chen Zhili, State Councilor, Li Meng, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Li Jinai, member of the Central Military Commission of the CPC and Director of the General Political Department of PLA, and many other leaders of central departments, including Cai Wu, Xie Xuren, Liu Binjie, Wei Liqun, Jiang Yikang and Ouyang Jian. Sun Jiazheng, Minister of the Department of Culture, Chairman of the CFLAC and Chairman of this Art Festival, Hu Zhenmin, Secretary of the Party of the CFLAC and Vice Chairman of CFLAC and Chairman of this Art Festival, Li Mu, Feng Yuan, Liao Ben and Bai Gengsheng and other members of the CFLAC in Beijing attended the closing ceremony and watched the performance.

Sun Jiazheng extended a closing address. He stated that art was the carrier of emotion, and culture was the bridge of souls. The success of the 7th China International Folk Art Festival further strengthened the mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese people and people of the other countries and also presented a marvelous art gala for our Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day Holidays. The Closing of this festival was not an end but a new beginning. Let us join hands, enhance contact and communication, strengthen understanding and friendship and make new contributions to the development of folk arts and the world’s peace, cooperation and mutual development and the beautiful future of all the people in the world.

The dance of the State Academic Siberian Russian Folk Choir opened the closing-ceremony performance. With girls’ dancing skirts and young men’s joyful steps, the dance Kalinka seemed to take the audience back to the beautiful Russia. Afterwards, performers of the Japanese Ryukyu National Drum Dance Ensemble, dressed in gorgeous costumes, four bamboo pieces in hand, flower hat on the head, danced gracefully and presented the audience the Japanese traditional festival dance--Four Bamboo Dance. The two dynamic women singers of the RUA Music Band of Ireland performed Summer in Paris and Let’s Dance, whose rich exotic feature carried the audience away. Performers of the “Va Chini Va Ngoma” Folk Dance Ensemble of South Africa danced the passionate Folk Dance to express their exhilaration. The singing of the Puka Soncco Music Group of Peru deeply impressed the audience with their beautiful melody of “Machu Machu”. The Joyous Festival performed by the Lebanese Fahed Al Abdallah Dance Ensemble, through gestures of great expressions, displayed the scene of a postwar wedding and brought thoughts and inspiration to people. The Honved Dance Company of Hungary used their unique Hungarian dance language to narrate a romantic love story. Through abundant dance postures and strong rhythm, the Hula-Hula Dance performed by the Tongareva Enua Culture Dance Ensemble of Cook Islands vividly depicted the summer life of Maori people in Pacific islands. Cuban Yolena Dance Company, by way of lyric music, gorgeous costumes and unrestrained dance, presented the audience the beauty of people of different colors living on the Beautiful Islands.

Besides the characteristic performances of the foreign art troupes, the programs performed by Chinese artists were also marvelous. Tibetan performers from Lhazê County Art Troupe of Tibet danced the enthusiastic and unrestrained plateau tap dance with their unique musical instruments and joyous rhythm, and expressed Tibetan people’s exhilaration for the Qinghai-Tibet railway. The Peony Pavilion---Thoughts on Dreams performed by China Suzhou Art Troupe got the ancient Kunqu bloom gracefully in the transmission and development. The girls from the Central Ethnic Chorus, by way of the skills of their waists and hands, vividly displayed the full blossoming process of A Lovely Rose and fully demonstrated Uygur girls’ beauty, loveliness and zeal. At last, in the rhythmic and sonorous sounds of Chinese gong and drum, artists of all countries held Chinese folding fans in hand and went on the stage to extend their gratitude. With children setting free white pigeons, the wishes of peace and friendship echoed over the stage and stayed in everyone’s heart for ever.

After the performance, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles held a farewell banquet for the 7th China International Folk Art Festival. Hu Zhenmin, Li Mu, Feng Yuan, Liao Ben and Bai Gengsheng attended the banquet and presented gifts to the artists of all the other countries. 

Hu Zhenmin extended the speech on the banquet. He stated that art, friendship and peace are the perpetual pursuits of people all over the world and also the clear theme of the China International Folk Art Festival. Through the activities of this art festival, old and new friends from every corner of the world not only exchanged experience but also deepened their mutual understanding and friendship. The communication and friendship of this kind will play an active role in the development of folk cultures of all the countries and the construction of a peaceful and friendly world.

Since the opening of the 7th China International Folk Art Festival on September 25th in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, over 460 artists from 22 countries of five continents made a round tour of 32 performances on 7 squares in Pingjiang and Canglang districts of Suzhou and 6 historical towns, such as Tongli and Jinxi, and brought Suzhou people colorful programs. From October 2nd to 6th, art troupes from 9 countries, including Russia and Cuba, came to Beijing and gave Beijing audience three splendid performances in Haidian Theater, PKU Centennial Lecture Hall and China Grand Theater, respectively. Undoubtedly every performance deeply attracted the audience’s eyes. After watching the programs a Peking University student was quite excited and claimed that he only watched such performances on TV or in movies before, but the feeling of watching it on the spot was quite different; it was quite shocking! Actually, a great many spectators shared the same feelings. They all hoped that there could be more such activities and that the excellent folk arts of all countries could blossom on the stage of China.