Sun Wukong is one of the characters in Peking Opera's "Journey to the West." (Photo : wikipedia.com)
Over a thousand Chinese nationals and Chinese culture enthusiasts alike gathered at the University of Houston to witness the staging of Peking Opera on Sunday in line with the Spring Festival celebration, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
The three-hour-long gala performance was staged at the Cullen Performance Hall of the U.S. city's University of Houston.
The cultural show entitled "Cultures of China, Festival of Spring" has been attracting an immense number of crowd for the recent years. However, this year's edition exclusively featured the famous Peking Opera.
Peking Opera, as how U.S. congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee remarked, is the highest form of Chinese art, which she recommends "everyone should see."
As "beauty is universal," she ensured that even non-Chinese members of the crowd can appreciate the sophistication and elegance of this piece of art.
Throughout the show, the Cullen Hall was filled with cheers, hearty laughs, sentiments of sorrow and some other sorts of emotions as the artists staged world-class performances one after another.
One of the cultural show's highlights is the enthralling presentation of some 30 well-chosen artists from various schools and Peking Opera genres. The elite group of entertainers wowed the crowd with more than a dozen of classic selections.
Along with other diplomats, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin went to the show to grace the Spring Festival revelry.
The gala performance was organized by the Overseas Chinese Affairs' Office of the State Council of China, Beijing branch, and the Houston-based Chinese Civic Center. The event was sponsored by the Head Office of the State Council of China.
The Peking Opera will be staged next in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit.
The touring of cultural shows like this is part of China's efforts to introduce its culture to the global audience. Moreover, it also aims to bring the rich Chinese heritage closer to the country's nationals based abroad.
