As part of the efforts towards enhancing cultural exchange and fostering people-to-people friendship between China and Nigeria, a Chinese construction company, China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), Nigeria Limited, hosted a Chinese Pingtan cultural performance in Abuja during the week.

Originating from the water towns of Jiangnan and Qing dynasties, Pingtan seamlessly blends the narrative depth of storytelling, the lyrical elegance of opera and the rhythmic charm of music.

Exhibiting rich and colourful costumes of the Chinese people, the performers, who had traveled down from the People’s Republic of China, held audience spell-bound as they churned out one performance after the other.

Speaking on behalf of the company, the Deputy Managing Director, CGC, Jiang Wei, said that the performance by the Wuxi Pingtan Troupe from Jiangsu Province, served as both a cultural exchange and an affirmation of the enduring friendship between the Chinese and Nigerian peoples.

He said: “Through this event, we aim to deepen cultural cooperation, promote mutual understanding, and strengthen trust between our two nations.”

Also speaking, Cultural Counsellor and Director of the China Cultural Centre, Yang Jianxing, described Pingtan as a “shining pearl” among China’s over 400 traditional folk art forms.

He noted that the Pingtan performance by the Wuxi musical troupe engages culture as a bridge, allowing Nigerians to experience the rich diversity of Chinese culture and the Chinese people’s pursuit of harmony.
Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy Director, Wuxi Pingtan Troupe, Shen Jie,noted that the melodies, crafted in the gentle Suzhou dialect and accompanied by the elegant tones of traditional string instruments, create a profound emotional connection.

“Each lyric paints vivid images of life, love and history, resonating like gentle ripples in a stream”, Jie said.
The event was attended by music lovers, employees of Chinese companies, members of the diplomatic community and Nigerian audiences.

Highlights of the performances by the Wuxi Pingtan Troupe included Wuxi Scenery, Family Letters from Dangkou, A lovely jasmine and The moon over the river on a spring night.