A Kenyan dressed in a Chinese opera costume poses for a photo during a Chinese cultural event held at the Kenya National Theater in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 28, 2022. Launched by Chinese Embassy in Kenya, Kenya Cultural Center and Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, an event themed with Chinese opera was held at the Kenya National Theater on Monday in Nairobi.(Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese cultural day was held in Kenya's capital of Nairobi on Monday evening, showcasing captivating opera, fashion show and kung fu at the ceremony which was attended by senior officials, diplomats, scholars and students.

The event which was convened by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi and Kenya Cultural Center, was held under the theme "Chinese Opera."

Zhou Meifen, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said the cultural event that featured Peking Opera, face makeup, costume displays and martial arts was timely amid ongoing efforts to enhance Sino-Kenyan cultural exchanges and understanding.

Zhou added that by attending the Chinese cultural day celebrations, Kenyan youth would gain a better understanding of the rich traditions, beliefs and value systems of the Asian nation.

"Strengthening youth exchanges and enhancing people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa is one of the important contents of the People to People and Cultural Exchange Project in the Dakar Action Plan of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation," said Zhou.

She noted that deepening cultural, as well as people-to-people exchanges, has become a critical building block for robust Sino-Kenyan relations, adding that in the near future, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya intends to stage events that enhance cultural understanding among citizens of the two bilateral partners.

Lung'ashi Nyongesa, knowledge management director at the Kenya International Theater Festival, said the country was honored to stage Chinese cultural day celebrations, a reaffirmation of flourishing bilateral cooperation and friendship between Nairobi and Beijing.

Nyongesa noted that Chinese culture had enduring tenets including harmony, tolerance and pursuit of the collective good that could be emulated locally to help Kenyan society thrive.

Kimingichi Wabende, a lecturer at the Department of Literature and Performing Arts, University of Nairobi, said that by leveraging cultural exchanges, Kenya and China could elevate their cooperation to new levels and benefit the youth.

Wabende noted that Chinese culture has resonated with Kenyan youth, as evidenced by a growing number who are studying Mandarin and have gained prowess in kung fu.