Chinese Culture

One thing that I have been searching for is Chinese Culture - performance. We managed to get to the Opera one night, but it was hard going. And people who saw us there, and those who know we went were quite curious. Why would we want to see this?

I recall at the Dragon Boat Festival - where there is a public holiday - there was not a sign of any Dragon Boat despite all the water (lakes, rivers, canals) around here. Not a teensy bit of Chinese culture - at least nothing I could find!

At student events there is little - until last night that is. I was not officially invited until very late, and by then I had found out one of my students was singing and had announced I would like to go.

It was billed as "Chinese Ancient Custom Festival." I think I was the only foreign teacher there.

It started with the Lion Dance - two very clever young men in the Lion's costume performing some great acrobatics and great gestures of the Lion.

That was followed by an array of performances - Chinese traditional music with the musicians in costume and not the usual jeans and sweater! Traditional Chinese stories performed in exquisite costume. I chatted to the man beside me (a Chinese PE teacher) and told him that this is what I had wanted to see - real Chinese cultural performance.

I had another commitment at 8 pm so left before the event has completed ,but in time to see my student sing a traditional Chinese song!

A great night, and I am so glad that I was able to see it. Why don't they invite the foreign teachers? Mainly as they do not understand that despite the language difficulty we can appreciate the colour, the music, the spectacle of Chinese culture.

I hope I can get to see more of it!!!!