From the shores of a tiny Pacific island to Sydney Harbour, a Guangzhou performing arts troupe brought a taste of southern China to audiences thousands of kilometers from home this month.
The Guangzhou International Friendship Art Troupe traveled to Naoero and Australia from September 13 to September 18, staging performances and cultural tourism events that highlighted music, Cantonese Opera, dance and acrobatics. It also marked the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Guangzhou and Sydney.
A taste of home in the Pacific
The first stop was Naoero, where the troupe performed on the evening of September 14 at a community square. Before the show began, local residents had already started gathering. As the first notes of In Celebration of Good Times (《娱乐升平》), a classic piece of Cantonese music, filled the square, the atmosphere quickly became more lively.
For some members of Naoero's Chinese community, the music was particularly personal. One Guangdong-born Chinese resident who has lived in Naoero for more than 20 years became emotional when the familiar melody began. "This is the sound of my hometown," the audience member said.
The performers also sang the popular Chinese song Love and Passion (《万水千山总是情》), followed by Friends (《朋友》), which had people in the audience singing along.
The cultural connection between Guangdong and Naoero goes beyond the stage. Many members of Naoero's Chinese community have ancestral roots in Guangdong, while Naoero President David Adeang has visited Guangdong twice to trace his family roots.
40 years of friendship with Sydney
After Naoero, the troupe headed to Sydney, where Guangzhou and the Australian city are celebrating 40 years as sister cities. The relationship, established in 1986, has grown from an early city-to-city partnership into cooperation in areas including trade, tourism, education and science.
One of the more visible reminders of that connection is the Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour, which was jointly designed and built by the two cities and incorporates elements of traditional Lingnan garden design.
On September 17, Guangzhou hosted a tourism promotion event at the China Cultural Centre in Sydney, bringing together representatives from the local tourism and business sectors as well as Chinese community organizations.
The event introduced Guangzhou through its history, food culture, urban landscape and tourism resources, as well as travel conveniences for international visitors, including China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy for eligible travelers.
The presentation drew attention from Sydney's tourism industry, with several representatives expressing interest in organizing future trips to Guangzhou. For some in the audience, it was their first close encounter with Chinese performing arts. "This is the first time I have experienced Chinese culture at such close range," one Sydney audience member said. "It was amazing. China no longer feels so far away to me."
Culture as a way to connect
The six-day tour was more than a series of performances. In Naoero, the troupe brought familiar sounds and traditions to a community with longstanding connections to Guangdong. In Sydney, the performances became part of a 40-year story of friendship between the two cities.
The performances may have lasted only a few hours, but the encounters continued after the music stopped, giving audiences in Naoero and Australia a closer look at the culture of Guangzhou and the wider Lingnan region.
Reporter | Li Fangwang
Photo | Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau
