Liuzhou-Basel Cultural Exchange Week makes a splash

The 2018 China (Liuzhou) International Water Carnival & Liuzhou-Basel Cultural Exchange Week concluded in Liuzhou on Oct 3, serving up a fusion of culture through a raft of cultural presentations, performances, creative fairs and delicacies.

Liuzhou-Basel Cultural Exchange Week kicks off in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Oct 1 and runs until Oct 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Liuzhou is the largest industrial city in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and a cultural melting pot, being home to over 30 ethnic groups. Basel, situated in northwest Switzerland, is known for its museums, medicine and chemical industry.

A cross-culture music feast was brought by artists from Liuzhou Lusheng Association and Alphorn Academy of Switzerland (AAS) with lusheng and alphorn. The former is a traditional reed-pipe wind instrument of Miao ethnic group, while the latter is a wooden natural horn of conical bore used by mountain dwellers in the Swiss Alps.

A music feast is brought by artists from Alphorn Academy of Switzerland (AAS) with alphorn. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

He Renping, president of the Liuzhou Lusheng Association, said that he had participated in the Liuzhou international water carnival several times. More and more foreigners are becoming fascinated by the performances and beginning to learn lusheng, he added.

According to Beat Burkhardt, president of AAS, it is the first time that he led the orchestra to Liuzhou, and he expressed his hopes cultural and tourist exchanges and cooperation with the city would be expanded on the back of the performance.

In addition to a Basel carnival parade, and flag twirling performances, Swiss jazz bands also staged adapted Liuzhou folk songs during the three-day event.

The two-city cultural exchange week has been held in Liuzhou annually since 2015. Every year, Liuzhou conducts cultural interactions with a different country or city, to promote its distinctive ethnic cultures and expose itself to diversified cultures around the world, said an executive from organizer Liuzhou Culture & Tourism Investment Development Group.