21 September 2019
Preston
On the evening of 11 February, the performance delegation of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) for the 2019 Spring Festival Performance Tour, which was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, arrived in Preston, a small town in Northwest England where the University of Central Lancashire is located.
The performance by the STA performance delegation in Preston on 12 February was one of the important events on Preston's annual performance calendar. The mayor attended the event and delivered a speech. The deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire accompanied the mayor during the event and also delivered a speech. The one-hour performance received warm applause and cheers from the audience. After the performance, the mayor and deputy vice-chancellor went onto the stage to take pictures with the actors and exchanged souvenirs with the performance delegation. At 10 pm the same nigh, the delegation flew to Belfast embarking on the performance tour in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland
On the evening of 13 February, the performance by the STA performance delegation for the 2019 Spring Festival Performance Tour was held in the Waterfront Pier Art Hall in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. About 400 spectators, including the President of the Northern Ireland Parliament, the Mayor of Belfast and the Chinese Consul General in Belfast, gathered to watch the wonderful performances of dance, Chinese opera, folk music and puppets brought by the Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as the Chinese language promotional activities of the Confucius Institute at the Ulster University, a local higher education institution.
The President of the Northern Ireland Parliament delivered a speech before the performance. The Mayor of Belfast and the Chinese Consul-General in Belfast also delivered speeches. At the kind invitation of the President of the Northern Ireland Parliament, the STA performance delegation also visited the Parliament House.
Edinburgh
On 14 February, the STA performance delegation arrived in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and the last destination of the 2019 Spring Festival Performance Tour, for two days of performances. The performance delegation staged two performances at the Edinburgh National Convention Center and the National Museum. Especially, the last performance at the museum was performed in the open public space of the museum. The wonderful performance attracted a large number of tourists to stop and watch, and the warm applause lasted for a long time in the museum.
During the period of half a month, the STA performance delegation for the 2019 Spring Festival Performance Tour staged a total of 12 performances in seven cities of Belgium and Britain, with which it presented European audiences with performances of Chinese traditional cultural and artistic characteristics, brought the flavor of Chinese New Year to Europe, promoted cultural exchanges and enhanced understanding and friendship. During the Spring Festival performance tour, the delegation was warmly received by the Chinese Embassies in the UK and Belgium and the Chinese Consulate General in Belfast, as well as the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels and the Confucius Institutes in the various locations.
