Now Shenzhen | April 24, 2023
THE drizzly weather didn’t put a dent in the performers and audience’s enthusiasm for the joyous carnival staged by an expat artist group at the Rose Coast in Dapeng New Area on Saturday.
The cultural event, organized by the Dapeng New Area Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, kicked off with a parade and was followed by a talent performance at the coast.
The 30-member expat group, role playing different characters, marched on the path along the beach together with mascots walking on stilts.
After the parade, expat performers from the Shenzhen New Silk Road Art Troupe delivered a song and dance performance, receiving thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd.
The locals, immersed in the multicultural carnival vibe, sang along to Chinese and English songs, and danced to the rhythm of Zumba.
Byron Everson from Canada is a fan of armors. The parade gave him the chance to wear his collection of a replica ancient Roman armor and helmet. Common interest led him to meet an elderly man who talked quite a lot about ancient Rome with him. “It’s really nice to connect that way. It’s not the big things we do, but I think we make people happy.”
Artem Tsirulnikov, 16, from Russia, asked performers to come up the stage in fluent Chinese as one of the talent show’s hosts. “Being a host is one of my interests. I have great fun here,” Tsirulnikov said. He joined the cultural event with his mother, one of the dancers in the group, and his 9-year-old brother who dressed up as a little dragon for the parade. “People are full of energy. More and more audience came to watch the show as the weather got better,” Tsirulnikov told Shenzhen Daily in Chinese. Tsirulnikov, who speaks fluent Mandarin, settled in China with his parents when he was barely a year old.
As for Nuke Gaga, a professional singer from Georgia, she felt herself basking in the spotlight as “the audience always try to show you how they love you.” Gaga came to China five months ago, and spent two months practicing a Cantonese song “Like You,” which won over the audience on site.
“This is my favorite Chinese song, even though learning it was hard for me,” Gaga said. “I love this place. I saw the sea for the first time, and I love Chinese people as they are very warm.”
A family of three, who lives in Kuichong in Dapeng, was invited to watch the performances. The mother, surnamed Wang, was overwhelmed by the show. “We enjoyed our time here, and I would like to take my son to experience how international cultures mix,” she said.
Before the performances, the expat artists visited Dapeng Fortress, Golden Bay and Rose Town in the morning, allowing them to learn more about Dapeng.
ARTICLE FROM: Shenzhen Daily