Strengthening Sino-Brazilian friendship through art

In June this year, traditional music artist Tong Shengyuan and dance artist Di Junmin from China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater were selected as Chinese cultural volunteers to work in Brazil. They were dispatched to teach Chinese traditional music and dance courses respectively at the Orchestra of the Copacabana Fort and the Rio de Janeiro Dance School.

Three months later, Tong's apprentices in Brazil were already fluent in playing classic Chinese music pieces. They also made attempts to combine traditional Chinese music with orchestral instruments and Brazilian drum rhythms.

According to Tong, young Brazilians have a strong affinity for Peking Opera percussion, and the subtly beautiful sound of erhu complements the lively beats of Brazilian percussion in a wonderful way.

This is Di's second time working as a Chinese cultural volunteer, which is another meaningful experience for him. Shayne, a student from Brazil, compiled photos taken during her Chinese dance lessons with Di into a handmade album, which she presented to him. In order to improve her Chinese dance, she also started learning Chinese, making earnest efforts to understand more about Chinese culture.

Di happily remarked that planting a seed of love for Chinese culture in the hearts of these young participants and encouraging them to become promoters of Sino-Brazilian friendship and enthusiasts of Chinese culture has been the greatest reward of his trip to Brazil. The profound friendships between Chinese cultural volunteers and their overseas trainees are also the highlights of China's international cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

"Chinese cultural volunteers" is a key brand project of the China International Culture Association, which, up to now, has dispatched more than 30 professionals in fields such as calligraphy, fine arts, drama, music, and dance to 16 countries, playing an active role in promoting Chinese culture, and advancing artistic exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. The cultural volunteer project to Brazil this year was organized by China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater.