STORY: China's local opera troupe stages performance in Nairobi
DATELINE: Sept. 7, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:55
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Wu Opera performance
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (ENGLISH): HASNICK OMONDI, Student at University of Nairobi
3. various of Wu Opera performance
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LOU SHENG, Wu Opera actor
5. various of Wu Opera performance

STORYLINE:

A performance of Wu Opera by a troupe from east China's Zhejiang Province was staged in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday night to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya.
   
Hasnick Omondi, a student at the University of Nairobi where he is pursuing a degree in the Chinese language and tourism, praised the performance for the vivid depiction of the rich culture of China.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (ENGLISH): HASNICK OMONDI, Student at University of Nairobi
"Because I learn Chinese, that's the reason why I came to see this cultural exchange to see the opera. We see the opera. We learned it in school. Definitely, this will create a cultural exchange, because we as Kenyans can see what they have and what they can offer. And maybe those people can come together and create something that shows the cooperation between China and Kenya."

Wu Opera, also known as Jinhua Opera, has a history of more than 500 years and is the second major regional operatic genre in Zhejiang.

It first grew in popularity in Jinhua City and its surrounding areas, and was named after Wuzhou, the name of Jinhua in ancient China.
   
The Zhejiang Wu Opera troupe showcased nine performances, using well-choreographed and acrobatic moves.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LOU SHENG, Wu Opera actor
"This is not the first time for our troupe to perform in Africa, but it's our first time in Kenya. Wu Opera has a very long history. It is also known as the 'living fossil' of China's Nanxi, or Southern Opera. Before we came to Africa, we carefully prepared the performance list. This time we brought a performance named 'The Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon.' Through familiar stories of the audience, we hope to truly communicate with them."
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)