20th China Shanghai Int’l Arts Festival: Performing arts fair highlights cultural trade and int’l cooperation

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Now to the ongoing China Shanghai International Arts Festival where an opening ceremony for a performing arts fair was held today. The fair began on Thursday and will last till Monday. CGTN's Xu Mengqi has more.

This theatrical play is called "The Last Warrior Elephant". Adapted from Chinese author Shen Shixi's novel of the same name, it tells the emotional tale of Ga Suo. That's an elephant that survived a war in Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan province. A Chinese story created for an international audience.

LUKE MA, PRESIDENT SHANGHAI MEDIA GROUP LIVE "For the visual part of the show, we worked with the British 59 Productions company, famous for their design of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics and War Horse. We hope that through such cooperation, our warrior elephant could travel to more countries and reach more international audiences."

A brief showcase before the play's official premiere later in November. The Last Warrior Elephant is one of 31 artworks that will meet the public during the five-day performing arts fair. It all falls under the umbrella of this year's Shanghai International arts festival.

XU MENGQI SHANGHAI "Attracting nearly 460 organizations from 53 countries and regions, the arts fair which began on the 18th is centered around one theme: facilitating cultural trade and international cooperation."

And highlighting this theme: a signing ceremony of seven memorandums of understanding on Saturday. Five of these were between the Shanghai International arts festival and other events around the world.

CATHERINE J. WANG, PRESIDENT CENTER FOR CHINA SHANGHAI INT'L ARTS FESTIVAL "At the fair you'll see a lot of arts festivals and institutions. They are here firstly to check on the latest original productions in China, the updates in the arts and culture here; and they are also here to showcase and sell their works."

CELINE TONER & SAMANTHA TONER-GREEN LIMELIGHT PRODUCTIONS "We'd like to align a theatre company that maybe has theaters throughout cities in China so that we can take our music to everyone."

Also featured in the fair: the network of Silk Road arts festivals. Officially launched during last year's event, the network has grown to include 157 member institutions.

RUTA PRUSEVICIENE, DIRECTOR GENERAL LITHUANIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY "I think this network and perspective gives us fantastic perspective. We have very concrete cooperation projects. In 2020, we are planning to make a Baltic week in Shanghai festival which will unite the music forces from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and we also present the silk projects in the Baltic states."

The five-day arts fair will last till October 22. XMQ, CGTN, Shanghai.