In recent days, the Hunan Federation of Literary and Art Circles has sent an art troupe to the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas, staging a series of innovative performances. The troupe hosted four National Day receptions and Mid-Autumn Festival poetry events at local Confucius Institutes, setting off a "Hunan aesthetic wave" across Latin America.
"Soul of the Sword in Ink and Wash" dance and Chinese calligraphy performance. (Photo provided by the Hunan Art Troupe)
"Lotus and Brocade" erhu and costume show. (Photo provided by the Hunan Art Troupe)
The performances were sought-after everywhere they were staged. In Costa Rica, Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs Alejandro Solano Ortiz and former President José María Figueres Olsen rose to applaud during the finale of "Lotus and Brocade."
In the Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip Davis and his wife met with the artists for photos after the performances. The Prime Minister's wife showed a particular fondness for the Hunanese datong (a 2-stringed cylindrical instrument played with a bow). She remarked that "The music is so beautiful that I wish I could listen to it every day." Notably, the performances were given a prominent position on the front page of The Tribune, the Bahamas' largest newspaper, hailed as "the most impactful cross-cultural dialogue of the year."
From Santo Domingo to San José, and Nassau, this art tour has transcended conventional cultural exchanges. At the National Day receptions hosted by the Chinese embassies in the abovementioned three countries, art is now the most vivid calling card. As the melodies "Hunan Women on Tianshan Mountain" and "Sunset over the Fishing Village" resonated through the datong, foreign dignitaries clapped gently to the rhythm, while young audiences dancing spontaneously. During the dance and Chinese calligraphy performance, audience members eagerly approached the artists Zhou Lingzi and He Ling, hoping to obtain their souvenir works.
This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.
Translator: Pang Yuehui
Chinese source: hunantoday
