CPAFFC Folk Art Performing Group in Austria

At the invitation of the Austrian Association for Promotion of Friendship and Cultural Relations with China (AAPFCRC), a ten-member Chinese Folk Art Performing Group, in the name of the CPAFFC delegation, participated in the activities of the Year of China in Austria, from February 20 to March 2 and gave performances in Vienna, Baden, Graz and Linz.

2006 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria and cooperation between the CPAFFC and the AAPFCRC. The Austrian Government designated 2006 as the Year of China and entrusted the AAPFCRC and the CPAFFC to organize activities for it. The performers of the Chinese Folk Art Performing Group mostly came from the Farmers’ Shadow Play Group of Pingan County of Qinghai Province, the Puppet Show Troupe of the Tianjin Municipal Children’s Art Theatre and the Beijing Folk Artists Association. The programmes of their performance were shadow play, pole-carrying puppet show and peep show. On the noon of February 21, Gerd Kaminski, executive vice president of the AAPFCRC, entertained the delegation and briefed about the background of the Year of China. On the evening of 22nd, the performing group gave their first performance at the Casino Baden. Professor Kaminski and his wife, vice mayor of Baden and his wife, and general manager of Casino Baden watched the performance. The performers gave the shadow play The Monkey King Fights Against the White Bone Demon Three Times, the puppet shows The Pigsy Carries His Wife on His Back, and Long Silk Ribbon Dance and the peep show A Bottomless Pit. The puppet show, shadow play and peep show with rich Chinese folk art characteristics can be called the “exotic flowers” of the Chinese folk culture. Now they as cultural envoys traveled across the ocean and spread glamour of the art of a distant ancient oriental country to a country with entirely different cultural background, and added new contents to the cultural exchanges between China and Austria. The performance was warmly received by Austrian friends, who marveled at and admired the charm of the ancient Chinese performing art. On February 24, Chinese folk art performers and Austrian puppet show artists held a discussion entitled “When Monkey King Meets Kasperl (Kasperl is a typical image of Austrian puppets)”. In the discussion the Chinese and Austrian artists talked about the origin, history, development and the current situation of the art they were respectively engaged in, as well as their personal working experience. After the discussion the artists of both sides gave shows on the spot.

On the 25th and 26th February the Chinese delegation gave two performances in the Vienna Folk Art Museum. The shadow play and puppet show artists performed The Monkey King Caused Havoc in Heaven, Flooding the Jinshan Hill, Two Brothers Kill a Tiger and Plate Spinning. The Austrian ORF TV and the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV interviewed and gave coverage to the performing group. On the night of 25th February Zhang Weiqing and Zhan Weiping, president and secretary general of the Overseas Chinese Committee of the AAPFCRC, entertained the delegation.

Besides Vienna, the delegation also gave performances in Graz, capital of Steiermark State and Linz, capital of Upper Austrian State. In Graz, a famous historic city, the delegation gave performance in School Seiersberg and an old people’s home. That day happened to be the Carnival Tuesday. The Chinese artists and Austrian audience spent together a very interesting carnival. In addition, the delegation specially gave a performance for Franz Voves, governor of Steiermark at the State Government Building, for that day happened to be his birthday. He greatly appreciated the birthday gift from the East that the Chinese delegation presented to him, and after the performance invited all the members of the delegation to visit the State Government Building and his office. During the delegation’s stay in Steiermark, president of the Diet, members of the National Council and mayor of Seiersberg respectively met with or entertained the delegation.

In Linz, a famous industrial city, despite the fatigue after travel the delegation gave a wonderful performance for the overseas Chinese at midnight. Ni Tieping, president of the Austria-China Association of Economic Promotion, entertained the delegation.

In the short time of ten days, Chinese traditional folk art left fresh impressions on the Austrian audience; meanwhile the beautiful Austria also left deep impressions on the Chinese artists. They thanked the CPAFFC and the AAPFCRC and sincerely wish more activities of the Year of China in Austria success and China-Austria friendship everlasting.