The Herald
4 May 2009
Harare — A LEADING Chinese arts group — Gansu Art Troupe — which is in the country on a cultural exchange programme — gave a scintillating performance in Harare over the weekend.
Several Government officials were part of the audience that watched the show at the Celebration Centre.
The Gansu Art Troupe is a large-scale professional performance group, composed of Chinese national prize-winning artists.
It has enjoyed worldwide acclaim since 1980 for its attractive Buddhist dances. Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Yuan Nansheng said China and Zimbabwe have engaged in cultural exchange programmes in various forms for the past three decades.
He said this had helped consolidate and facilitate friendship between the two countries and people.
“The visiting performance by Gansu Art Troupe, is another reflection of such good wish of our two sides. I do believe that cultural exchange is a powerful means which can bridge the gap between people from different cultures and draw their hearts closer,” Ambassador Yuan said.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart paid tribute to the Chinese government for assisting Zimbabwe in most of its developmental programmes.
“Our relations have grown over the years and this has seen the Chinese government assist in the construction of the National Sports Stadium and we have a lot to learn from the people of China’s civilisation that dates back thousands of years,” he said.