Doha, 01 Feb. 2024

Troupe of 70 highly skilled Chinese artists in colorful and traditional costumes both male and female hailing from South-West region of Xinjiang province captivated the audience with their expertly performed cultural folk dances and melodious songs. The amazing and different backdrop displayed on each of 16 performances on the stage of state of the art Katara Opera House, Katara Cultural Village, Doha Qatar last Wednesday evening kept involved the guests deeply with the unique performances for long years to cherish.

The embassy of People’s Republic of China in Qatar with the support and cooperation with Katara Cultural Village Foundation and Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism organized grand Chinese cultural show celebrating Chinese new lunar year of Dragon under the theme of ‘Xinjiang is a nice place’.

Recently arrived Chinese ambassador to State of Qatar HE Cao Xiaolin expressed his joy and noting the honor of recently presenting his credentials recently to HH The Amir of State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani. He expressed his eagerness to make friends from all walks of life in Qatar and jointly enhance friendly cooperation between the two nations.

Notable personalities present included HE Khalid Ibrahim AlSulaiti, Director General of Katara Cultural Village; Maha Al Ruwaili, Assistant Undersecretary for Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar; Mrs. Yu Jie, Deputy Director General of Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism; Cai Xiaorong, Party Secretary of Xinjiang Art Theatre; ambassadors, dignitaries, guests, members of the media, and the Chinese community.

Dr Khalid Ibrahim AlSulaiti in his address as Chief Guest on the festival praised the organizers for holding Chinese Lunar new year festivities in Katara coinciding with Asian Football Tournament being hosted by Qatar.

He said that it is not first Chinese event held in Katara Cultural Village, a number of various Chinese events have been organised earlier from this platform.  However, the festival will reveal people about the culture and heritage of Xinjiang region, however, it will help in strengthening further bilateral close relations between both the nations, he added.

Yu Jie, Deputy Director General, Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism, China highlighted about the rich in scenery, resources, heritage and diverse uniqueness in culture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. She said that the regions is a beautiful place year-round.

She said that ‘Xinjiang has a very special location neighboring eight Asian and European countries. The autonomous government of Xinjiang encourage exchange of dialogue and mutual understanding among peoples with diverse backgrounds to live peacefully and in harmony together. Therefore, the performances reflect the richness of culture, folk and traditions of Xinjiang, the senior official of Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism added.

Earlier, in his welcoming address, Chinese ambassador Cao Xiaolin extended a warm welcome to the guests and the sizable Chinese troupe. Delving into the event’s theme, he highlighted Xinjiang a nice place for it’s unique ethnic minority cultures, picturesque landscapes, and abundant resources.

He said that the artistic performances aimed to showcase the beauty and tranquility of Xinjiang’s rich culture, influenced by Arab-Muslim  civilization while retaining the essence of Chinese civilization. He hoped that these performances would strengthen the bonds between people of both nations by drawing on each other’s strengths.

Expressing sympathy for the ongoing wars and conflicts in some Arab countries, Xiaolin conveyed his deepest condolences to those displaced and enduring immense suffering. He noted that some forces viewed Xinjiang ‘s stable development with double standards, similar to certain Western countries assessing the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people with double standards.

Inviting the audience to visit Xinjiang, Xiaolin encouraged them to witness its ongoing development, cherish its rich culture and cuisines, and appreciate its natural beauty and heritage.

He highlighted the significant increase in Xinjiang’s foreign trade, import and export in 2023 with a simultaneous 60 % year to year rise in trade volume with Qatar. He said that Xinjiang’s economic relations with many countries are thriving, leading to mutual development and elevating the standard of living and quality life of their people.