STORY: Chinese Kungfu popular at Israel's Akko Festival
DATELINE: Oct. 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:45
LOCATION: Jerusalem
CATEGORY: CULTURE 

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Akko Festival
2. various of Kungfu performance
3. SOUNDBITE (English): MAOR HATUEL, Akko resident
4. various of performances at Akko Festival

STORYLINE:

Chinese Kungfu performed at the Akko Festival in the northern Israeli city of Akko from Monday to Wednesday added a special festive atmosphere to the event and won great popularity with locals.

Akko, known for its historical sites and tourist attractions, has previously hosted various China-related cultural activities.
   
This year, the Akko Festival coincided with the Jewish Sukkot holiday and China's National Day holiday, drawing visitors from across Israel. Starting from sundown, Kungfu performances were staged each night for three consecutive days. Before the start of each performance, the stage was packed with spectators eager to occupy front spots.
   
The performances were held beside the walls of the Old City of Akko, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The superb skills of more than 20 monks from central China's Henan Province, the birthplace of the world-famous Shaolin Kungfu, stunned the spectators and won bursts of applause and cheers.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): MAOR HATUEL, Akko resident
"I remember in my childhood, I waited the whole year to get to the festival of Akko, it happens only once a year. I'm still excited even now like 30 years later, I am still excited to come here to the festival. I go every year, and this year was very special because I was watching for the first time the Chinese Kungfu show, which was amazing, so it even makes it a bigger event."
   
The China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv is a partner of the Akko Festival. Shi Yuewen, director of the center, said this is the first time a large-scale Chinese cultural and artistic group has performed in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is crucial to promoting cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jerusalem.
(XHTV)