On September 24, the 4th China–New Zealand Arts Festival was successfully held at the Wellington Opera House. Ambassador Wang Xiaolong and Grant Smith, President of Sister Cities New Zealand and Mayor of Palmerston North, attended the event and delivered speeches. Over 1,300 guests, including officials from both central and local governments of New Zealand, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from various sectors, as well as members of the Chinese community and international students, attended the performance.

(Photo by Vicky Lu)

Ambassador Wang stated that since 2019, the China–New Zealand Arts Festival has become an important bridge connecting the hearts of the two peoples. He quoted President Xi Jinping as saying that, “Civilizations become richer and more colorful through exchanges and mutual learning.” Although China and New Zealand are separated by thousands of miles, the two peoples are closely connected at heart. Ambassador Wang expressed his gratitude to Wellington City Council and Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti of Kapahaka Group for their strong support and warm welcome to the two groups of performers from the Inner Mongolia and Songjiang District Government of Shanghai. He expressed hope that art would serve as a bond to deepen the precious friendship across the oceans, and that culture would act as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and contribute to the sound and steady growth of the mutually respectful and mutually beneficial China–New Zealand relationship.

(Photo by Vicky Lu)

Mayor Smith extended a warm welcome to the visiting artists from Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, and Xiamen, noting that Shanghai is a sister city of Dunedin and Xiamen a sister city of Wellington. He highlighted that, in the context of globalization, China and New Zealand now share 42 pairs of sister cities, which stand as an important part of building friendship across cultures and across global boundaries. In May this year, Sister Cities New Zealand and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries successfully co-hosted the 3rd China-New Zealand Mayoral Forum and Sister City Exchange Festival in Chengdu, injecting new momentum into bilateral relations. Mayor Smith said the friendship between the two peoples is deepening and increasingly valuable. He expressed his anticipation for the joint performance by Chinese and New Zealand artists and wished the event every success.

(Photo by Meng Tao, Vicky Lu, etc)

The 4th China–New Zealand Arts Festival was co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, the China Cultural Centre in Wellington, and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Inner Mongolia, with great support from the Wellington City Council, the Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti of Kapahaka Group, and the People’s Government of Songjiang District, Shanghai. The joint performance by artists from China and New Zealand was both moving and memorable. A stirring rendition of Defending the Yellow River by members of the local Chinese community marked the highlight of the evening. The performance was met with sustained applause and enthusiastic cheers, with many audiences stayed long after the performance ended.

(Photo by Meng Tao)