This September, central China will get a taste of India through Manipuri dance, plays and martial arts.
A cultural troupe, comprising of 15 artistes including six female artistes under the supervision of State Art and Culture Director Aribam Shivdas Sharma has left Imphal on Wednesday to participate at the 5th Silk Road International Arts Festival at Xian, a large city and capital of Shaanxi province in China.
The festival is starting from September 6 to 16 under the initiative of Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government and it is being organized by Department of Culture of Shaanxi province.
“The festival is a part of cultural exchange between India, particularly Manipur and Asian countries and also the country’s efforts to strengthen cultural and bilateral ties,” said Commissioner M Lakshmikumar Singh of Manipur’s Art and Culture Department.
“We hope the programmes will take forward the relationship between the two countries.”
Commissioner Lakshmikumar admitted that the organizing team in China formally invited the State Government to attend the festival probably after witnessing Manipur’s rich cultural and traditional performances during annual Sangai festival, a tourism festival held in November every year.
Earlier a cultural troupe from China also performed in one of the Sangai festivals in Manipur.
He also said that the participation of cultural troupes from the State in the festivals organized in other Asian countries will go a long way towards building relationship between India and other Asian countries in the backdrop of the Act East policy of the country.
The Manipuri cultural troupe will present the six famous dance forms, plays and martial arts during the festival, according to Director Aribam Shivadas of the State Art and Culture Department.