On the evening of May 15th, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan attended the carnival, a major event of the ongoing Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC), together with foreign guests.
Wang Huning was present.
In the first month of summer, Beijing is full of vitality. Against the nightfall, the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, was decorated with dazzling lights and crowded with youth.
At 7:59 p.m., in the majestic music, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan walked onto the stage with foreign guests and their spouse including Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, President Halimah Yacob of Singapore, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Countdown numbers were displayed through dotted light in the sky and the audience shouted in union: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! A cultural event themed “Celebration of Youth, Dream of Asia” was unveiled.
Amidst warm applause, Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, delivered a speech to welcome foreign guests and artists. Asian countries, Xi pointed, is home to ancient and splendid cultures featuring unique style to lead the trend and peaceful coexistence to add radiance and beauty to each other. The diversity of Asian civilizations delivered Asian culture with beautiful colors and enduring life. Tonight, arts will transcend the boundaries of nations, touch people right in the heart and connect their minds, showing to the world a radiant, dynamic, peaceful and progressive Asia.
Xi stressed that Chinese people have all along been upholding the spirit of “Loving people and treating neighbors kindly are most valuable to a country” and “Neighbors wish each other well, just as loved ones do to each other.” Chinese people sincerely hope that all Asian countries could look after each other and ride on the same boat marching forward a long way to progress and developing ourselves along with the international trend, and also join hands to create a better future for Asia and the world.
Xi declared: the Asian culture carnival begins!
As the grand music rehearsed in night sky, the giant logo of CDAC appeared on the screen, during which six-petal peonies, symbolizing dialogue and exchanges of Asian civilizations, came into their blossom.
The carnival started with the electrifying interactive symphony chorus Our Asia. Young singers and symphony orchestras from different countries performed this theme song of the carnival together. On the stage, walking in the company of adolescent performers, young people from different Asian countries held high their national flags, presenting a sea of flags. Around the stage, representatives from all countries enjoyed a float parade. The dance Passion of Joy showed a good combination of the unique national dances of nine countries. The melodious song Breeze, Flowers and Neighbors expressed best friends’ happiness of gathering together. Percussion music The Grand Regatta which was performed by percussionists from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea showed Asian people's high spirit in the endeavor of development. Hand posture dance Silk Road Blossoms described the history of the Silk Road from ancient to modern times and the bright vision of countries all over the world to build and share a future. Performance An Era of Prosperity showed vividly the beauty of the Peking Opera, the quintessence of Chinese culture. Famous Italian tenor Andrea Bochelli performed Nessun Dorma, an excerpt from the opera Turandot, with the accompaniment of Chinese symphony orchestras. The song and dance A Panorama of Asia included songs and dances with different styles from different countries. The Wushu performance The Charm of Chinese Ink Art expressed Chinese people's idea that harmony arises from the ability to appreciate different cultures for their unique beauty. The dance Happy and Auspicious conveyed blessings by the lithe and graceful posture of a peacock displaying its feathers and flying butterflies. The dance A Youthful Asia showed the fashion of young people and sang for the bright future. In the song Auld Lang Syne, artists from all countries sang and danced together with each other. The song and dance Guests from Afar, Please Stay performed by Chinese and foreign singers and dancers showed that we valued the friendship and would not forget our friends. The last chorus Splendor of Asia expressed the shared fate of the Asian people and the common voice of the dream of happiness and pushed the performance to a climax. The carnival came to an end in the persistent applause and music.
The Bird’s Nest was full of passion tonight and Beijing hit the world tonight!
Attendees includes Ding Xuexiang, Sun Chunlan, Yang Jiechi, Cai Qi, Wang Yi and He Lifeng. Huang Kunming presided over the event.
Asian culture carnival is one of major and important events of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations. Nearly 30,000 audience watched this cultural feast.