With the worldwide celebration of the Chinese New Year, traditional Chinese cultural forms such as the Yingge dance, or Dance of Heroes, and dragon and lion dances have once again garnered widespread attention, winning hearts of fans overseas as well as the younger generations in China.
A cultural exchange delegation from Thailand that practices Yingge, a traditional folkdance originating from China, is expected to visit the Chaoshan region of South China s Guangdong Province on Thursday.
In mid-June, two special groups established a unique friendship as Yingge dancers from both China and Thailand met in Phanat Nikhom, Thailand, for the very first time since the traditional dance took root in Thailand nearly 100 years ago.
How much effort has Thailand made to attract Chinese tourists? Recently, a netizen released a video on China’s Twiter-like Sina Weibo showing images of Gao Qiqiang, a leading role in the hit Chinese TV drama The Knockout, pasted all across three-wheel taxis in Thailand. Even the driver’s cellphone is playing the show.
Throughout the crowded Spring Festival holidays, dancer Chen Xiangyu and his team have been rushing around non-stop throughout South China s Guangdong Province to present the centuries-old dance known as yingge, which roughly translates to