With the resonant beat of gongs and drums carrying the artistic charm of Zhejiang, the melodies of Wu Opera are reaching the African continent. A performance troupe jointly formed by the Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute (Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe) and its Wuyi branch, the Wuyi County Wu Opera Art Inheritance Center, has set off for Lesotho and Zimbabwe to embark on a multi-day international cultural exchange tour.

This year marks both the Chian-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the 60th anniversary of Lesotho’s independence. At the invitation of the Chinese Embassy and commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a Wu Opera troupe comprising 30 performers and crew members has set off for its first stop in Lesotho,where it will present two dedicated Wu Opera performances at the Avani Maseru Hotel and the National Convention Center, showcasing the unique charm of fine traditional Chinese culture in all its dimensions.

Following the performance tour in Lesotho, the Wu Opera troupe will travel to Zimbabwe to stage two special Wu Opera shows at the Seven Arts Theatre. Across four performances in the two countries, the troupe will present the popular Wu Opera work Three Attacks on the White Bone Demon, vividly showcasing the spiritual outlook of the Chinese nation. Local audiences will get a close-up glimpse of an authentic, multi-dimensional and vibrant China, further consolidating the friendly foundation for people-to-people bonds between China and Lesotho, as well as China and Zimbabwe.

As a shining golden card of Zhejiang’s international cultural exchanges, Wu Opera has gone global on many occasions, staging tours in more than 80 countries and regions around the world. This tour to the two African nations marks another major expansion of Wu Opera’s international reach. Using traditional opera as a medium, the Wu Opera troupe will build a bridge for civilizational dialogue between China and Africa. The ancient charm of Wu Opera will cross mountains and seas, composing a new movement of mutual learning among civilizations on African soil.