On 12 September, two flagship concerts of the 23rd New Zealand China Cultural Festival were successfully held in Christchurch. Acting Consul General Xu Haiyuan, Director Yin Ji of the Bilateral Affairs Division, and Culture Consul Gong Ping attended the performances together with more than 300 overseas Chinese and friends from all walks of life.

Following the shows, Acting Consul General Xu delivered remarks on site, praising both concerts. He noted that music is a language transcending national borders, and expressed hopes that it can serve as a bond to deepen people-to-people exchanges between China and New Zealand and advance mutual learning among diverse cultures.

Hosted jointly by the Chinese Cultural Association (NZ), the Canterbury Chinese Teachers’ Association, Datang Music Studio and the Chinese Arts Troupe, the cultural festival featured two programmes. “Chinese Melodies, Starlight Voices”, a solo concert by Xu Hongying, presented classic Chinese folk songs, film and television hits, classical poetry art songs, excerpts from Western operas and Māori music. “When Music Meets Screen", a Chinese and Western instrumental concert, brought together timeless soundtracks from Chinese and foreign films, animations, plus animated medleys. The two dazzling performances delivered an audio-visual feast blending the artistic charm of the East and the West.