PNG children’s art troupe invited to visit China

The Papua New Guinea National Cultural Commission received an invitation to send a PNG children’s art troupe to China. The invitation came from the Chinese Ambassador to PNG, His Excellency Zhao Zhenyu.
Excellency Zhenyu was speaking during a media briefing at the Sir John Guise Stadium on the arrival of the internationally acclaimed visiting children’s arts troupe from China to Port Moresby last month.
He said the cultural relationship that China had with PNG was very good and to further strengthen that relationship, a cultural exchange with PNG would be very much welcomed by the Chinese people.
On that note, the NCC Executive Director Dr. Jacob Simet said that planning and organisation of a
children’s art troupe to travel to China was not a problem, if only funding would allow for that to eventuate.

Dr. Simet added that a number of overseas groups have visited the country but it was the first time for an overseas children’s art troupe to visit PNG. “This visit highlights the realisation that it is the youth of today who have to take interest and learn to appreciate their own culture in taking the lead to maintaining and further promoting their own culture”, Dr Simet said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese children’s art troupe’s visit to Port Moresby was organised by the Chinese Association in PNG in conjunction with the National Cultural Commission and the Chinese Embassy.
The group comprised of dancers and musicians aged between 5 and 12 years. The troupe was established in May, 1995 and is one of the largest children’s art troupes with art varieties and performers.
The visiting troupe is only a part of the larger art troupe which includes symphony orchestra, traditional instruments orchestra, chorus, dancing group, infant art troupe, Peking opera group, ballet group, harmonica band, children’s drama troupe and children’s protocol group. The 10 groups have 500 little performers.

In recent years, the art troupe has created and rehearsed more than 100 children’s programs and
participated in many important occasions in China. A number of happy and lively children’s programs have left deep impressions on audiences. The art troupe has visited Canada, United States, Jamaica, Surinam, Japan, Spain, Trinadad & Tobacco, ustria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Chinese states of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau The “little envoys of peace and friendship” as described by the audiences have just completed their tour of New Zealand and Australia before coming to PNG.

Meanwhile, their performances for the past two days has been sensational and captivating. The troupe’s visit follows a successful visit by a Chinese acrobatic team last year, a continuation of the overall relations between the two countries. China and Papua New Guinea established diplomatic ties in 1976, a year after PNG gained independence. This relationship has expanded into many areas including cultural exchanges.
The group held three lively and entertaining performances at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby where a fee of K5 was charged per person.

These gate takings were to assist the organising committee in meeting some of the costs incurred during the group’s stay in the city. The group also had a chance to visit the National Parliament, Pari Village, the National Botanical Gardens, the National Museum and Art Gallery, the Royal Papua Yacht Club and a couple of schools in the city. Big turnout for the two nights’ performances truly reflected people’s demand in watching something different and entertaining. All in all, the group’s visit to the country was a success.