Shaolin in the Wind by Zhengzhou Song and Dance Troupe

Thirty-seven performing troupes from across Asia will gather next month at a grand festival in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province, to provide their distinctive forms of entertainment for locals and tourists from home and abroad.

The 10th Asian Art Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Henan provincial government and organized by the Henan Culture Bureau, the Zhengzhou city government and Kaifeng city government. It will be held in Zhengzhou and the neighboring city of Kaifeng from September 26 to October 8.

Zhengzhou, the main venue, will host the opening ceremony and most of the events.

Troupes from about 20 countries and regions, including South Korea, India, Japan, North Korea, Syria, Kirghizstan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, Cambodia, Turkey, Israel, Myanmar and Mongolia, as well as those from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, will participate.

Five cultural ministers and 20 diplomats from participating countries will also attend.

The festival will include five types of events - performances, movies, mass cultural activities, exhibitions and a trade fair.

An opening evening party called "Harmonious Asia" will be staged in Zhengzhou on September 26, featuring songs and dances of the various Asian countries and regions.

Pulcinella by the Israeli Modern Dance Company

Troupes will present nearly 100 performances including songs, dances, operas, dramas and concerts.

Chinese delegations will perform local operas including Yuju (Henan Opera), Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera.

The closing evening party - called "Meeting in Henan" - will be held in Kaifeng.

The event's Asian Movie Festival will show about 50 films produced in Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Israel and Syria, screened at cinemas, squares, schools and communities in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. Organizers say it is a rare opportunity for audiences to see films with different cultural backgrounds - the Chinese industry is dominated by domestically produced films and those imported from the United States.

A parade with floats and a tour of theme parks will offer additional public entertainment and recreation.

Visitors will also have an opportunity to see the historic Henan cultural relics. The central province in China is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization and has the largest number of unearthed ancient sites in the country.

Thirty-seven foreign embassies in China will show their art collections at an exhibition in Zhengzhou from September 27 to October 8.

Artists from all over Asia will also display their drawings and sculptures at various exhibitions.

The Asian Art Festival is one of the largest international art events in China. Since Beijing hosted the first art festival in 1998, nine sessions have followed in cities including Hangzhou in Zhejiang, Changchun in Jilin, Foshan in Guangdong and Nantong in Jiangsu.

A total of 141 art delegations from 30 Asian countries and regions have displayed various art forms at festivals over the past 10 years to an audience of nearly 10 million people.

This year is the first time the event to be held in the central region of China.

Organizers expect the event will showcase Henan's brilliant civilization and cultural progress and promote exchanges with Asian countries and regions.

Darangen ni Bantugen by the Philippine Ballet Theater

(China Daily August 26,2008)