Dubai: It was not only the operatic voices and the strings ensemble that filled the theatre of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation on Sunday night, nostalgia was also felt in every corner of the hall as well.
"I recalled our time back in China, what we had on the television and also I [thought I] should go back to my country, to my hometown to see everybody," Bian Hong Yun said after watching the China National Opera House (CNOH) perform.
Some 25 members of the renowned CNOH arrived on Saturday to perform in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from January 29 to 31. CNOH, which is the national opera house directly under the Ministry of Culture of China, includes an opera troupe, a symphony orchestra, and a stagecraft department.
The audience was treated to a rendition by a soprano and tenor accompanied by a string orchestra.
Third year
"We chose the songs that are almost related to Arabic songs or Arabic music. So we looked at the Xinjiang province, [whose music] is close to this place, almost related to Indian," Zhu Man, the conductress of CNOH, told Gulf News.
Bian and her family have been attending the Chinese performances at the Al Owais Foundation for the Chinese New Year celebrations for the past three years now.
This year's show, she said, stood out from the others.
"Before, [they would] always have traditional performances. This is a very formal performance and also very nice songs [were played] and I really liked it," she added.
"We have had this cooperation with the Al Owais Foundation for almost three years. Every year in January, we have a cultural week in Dubai," Shi Ruilin, a director from the Chinese Ministry of Culture, said.
"January is a [month for] culture, not only to show Chinese culture. The Chinese New Year is now celebrated across the world," he added.
‘Lot of art'
As the UAE is home to more than 200,000 Chinese expatriates, the Al Owais Foundation said this event is one that cannot be missed when culture and art come to the fore.
"Dubai is not like other cities. It's an international city with about 180 nationalities and we [cater to] all these nationalities," Abdul Elah Abdul Kader, executive manager of the Al Owais Foundation, said.
"China is one part of the world, but China is a big country. It has a lot of art. If you visit the cities, you see different artworks in each city," he added.
