The Philae Temple in Egypt Photo: IC

The Philae Temple in Egypt Photo: IC

At ancient Philae Temple on an island surrounded by the waters of the Nile River and the rocky hills in Upper Egypt's Aswan Province, the ongoing fourth edition of the Afro-Chinese Arts and Folklore Festival seeks to promote interaction between troupes from 30 countries and regions through art and cultural performances.

Getting there on motorboats, visitors are received at the gate of the Philae Temple, which has been decorated by Chinese red lanterns and the flags of countries participating in the event that is being held from Sunday to Thursday.

"It was such a challenge to hold the festival in Aswan across several venues including the Philae Temple, as it has always been held in the capital Cairo since it was first launched in 2016," Soheir Abdel-Qader, founder and chief of the festival, told the Xinhua News Agency.

She added that the attendance of Egyptian ministers, officials, lawmakers, artists and movie stars, as well as the cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, is a sign of how successful the event has become.

China's business card

Dressed in traditional Chinese red clothing, China's Xiamen Little Egert Folk Dance Group amazed the audience with their performance.

Lin Naizhen, leader of the Chinese troupe, said that her group is "the first professional folk dance art troupe in China," noting that they have performed in five continents about 46 times over the years.

"It's an honor to be here in Egypt for the first time to participate in this festival, which is an opportunity for us to have more people learn about Chinese culture through our distinctive dances," Lin said.

Sun Bo, director of the Art Department at the Xiamen Cultural and Tourism Bureau, described the troupe as "one of the business cards of Xiamen," noting that its growing popularity has reached many African states, too.

"I am impressed by many African countries participating in the festival. I have seen their enthusiastic performances and I hope to have more opportunities to learn from each other," Sun told Xinhua.

No boundaries

The second day of the festival also witnessed shows by various African troupes, including the Aswan Folk Troupe from Egypt, Ahalina Troupe from Sudan, Rockies Troupe from Uganda, Afro-Nation Troupe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rose D'Algerie from Algeria.

Khaled Houbad from Rose D'Algerie said that this was the fourth time his troupe has taken part in the Afro-Chinese Arts and Folklore Festival, noting that they were met by hospitality and given a warm welcome in Egypt. 

"The idea of Afro-Chinese cultural interaction is very good, because there is some kind of harmony between Asian and African cultures in general," said the Algerian troupe member.

Before one of the shows, Osubo Julius, a 16-year-old member of Uganda's Rockies Troupe, was dressed like a primitive shirtless African hunter or warrior with an attractive outfit full of accessories while his lower body was covered with a material similar to animal skin.

"This is my first time to join the Afro-Chinese festival. I love it and I do enjoy it so much because I meet here a variety of people from different places and cultures, which makes it very easy to build relationships between peoples," Julius said.

Egyptian actress Rania Farid Shawky, one of the artists who attended the festival, said that she would like to visit China soon "to see this giant country that has impressed the world with its development and culture."

"Art has no boundaries, languages or nationalities for it gathers all peoples. As an artist, I've been interested in coming and seeing this gathering and the fantastic art and shows of Chinese and African troupes," the Egyptian actress told Xinhua.

The festival didn't only attract audiences from Egypt, China and African states, but foreign tourists in Egypt's monument-rich Aswan enjoyed the shows as well.

"It's wonderful to see all these dancers from Africa and China in a very beautiful mix of different people in the world," said Asun Gomez, a lady from Spain who loved that the festival coincided with her one-week visit to Egypt.

"They look so harmonious and united while displaying their dances," the Spanish tourist added.


Newspaper headline: On the Nile