The 12th China International Folk Arts Festival (CIFAF), jointly sponsored by China Federation and Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the People’s Government of Fujian Province, was officially launched on October 13, at the Anxi County Film Theater in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province.
Secretary of the CFLAC Party Leadership Group, Zhang Hong, said in his speech that the CIFAF is going to undertake a new cultural mission. It will actively work together with Chinese and foreign artists in carrying out exchanges and cooperation, and create fine art. It will join hands with artists to contribute to promoting people-to-people ties between China and other countries, enhancing exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations, and promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road.
Wang Jinfu, vice governor of Fujian Province, said in his speech that the CIFAF was held in the thousand-year-old city of Anxi because of its abundant resources and talents, using tea as a means of communication and literature as a bridge to make friends, overall conveying the inclusive concept of harmony in diversity.
Li Yi, vice chairman of CFLAC and Zhao Long, governor of Fujian Province, joined in the opening of the 12th CFLAC. Artists from 12 countries, namely India, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, Nepal, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, joined hands with art groups from China’s Fujian, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, to present the audience a visual feast combining international and folk characteristics.
The preludial dance Welcome Friends from Afar. Showcasing the rich charm of southern Fujian culture, the people of Anxi warmly welcome artists from all over the world. Photos by Huang Donghua
The opening ceremony started with the dance Welcome Friends from Afar. Following a passionate performance on a drum, performers of the Liyuan Opera filed out onto the stage with elegant footsteps. The combination with distinctive acting of the Gaojia Opera created a vivid experience of local culture in southern Fujian. Presenting new brilliance from the starting point of the time-honored Maritime Silk Road, the people of Anxi warmly welcomed the artists from all over the world.
Artists from different countries performing folk songs and dances.
Various folk artists from around the world took turns on the stage presenting their styles of folk dancing, including the fast-paced and energetic Bollywood dance, vigorous Kazakh dance with a strong atmosphere of steppe life, and rhythmic and stylish dancing of Poland. The exotic folk songs and dancing held the audience spellbound.
In the detailed 10-step process of making Tieguanyin tea in Anxi County, twisting and kneading are two key steps. Only by twisting and kneading tender tealeaves countless times can a perfect taste of Tieguanyuan be eventually achieved. In this dance, a group of tea producers implement the steps of twisting and kneading needed to realize the transformation from a group of delicate tealeaves into a pot of refined artistry in taste.
The dance Twist & Knead in Crafting Tea interprets the exquisite production skills of Anxi Tieguanyin tea.
Artists from home and abroad danced to the beat of the solemn melody The Ode to Joy bringing the opening ceremony successfully to a close.
As an international folk art event, this year's CIFAF includes a variety of sections, such as opening performances, grassroots exchange tours, artists' galas, and tea performances with Anxi characteristics. The activities will present a pageant of civilization and cultural exchanges, exhibiting a rich and grand artistic feast to the local people. Artists from different countries and regions will also take this opportunity to learn from each other and exchange ideas, jointly promote the development of folk art of all nations and all ethnic groups in the world, and fully demonstrate the unity of Chinese and foreign artists working together in the spirit of "mutual learning and sharing beauty" between different civilizations.
Approved by the State Council of China, CIFAF is a large-scale international folk art exchange event in China. Since its inauguration in 1990, it has become an important bridge for folk cultural exchanges between China and other countries. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the theme of the 12th CIFAF is "Promote the spirit of the Belt and Road and create a shared future for humankind". It aims to promote exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations, enhance people-to-people ties between China and other countries, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, highlighting the important role of folk art in promoting international exchanges and cooperation.
(By Zhang Jinchuan, Xu Yiyan, Huang Ruying, Liang Jiahong)
