Central and Eastern European Cultures Gilded Beijing’s Autumn

Autumn is the best season in Beijing for it generously gracing people with bright sunshine, clear air and vibrant foliage. It is further enriched by a unique outdoor cultural exchange event that features exotic and local arts, cuisines, and intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, making this “Golden October” particularly memorable.

The third China-CEEC（Central and Eastern Europe Countries）Culture & Arts Carnival unfolded in Chaoyang Park, Beijing, on October 20. The three-day event showcased cultural highlights from nine CEE countries: Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Croatia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. Artists from both Europe and China contributed marvelousperformances and crafts.

For example, Serbian singer Slobodan Trkulja with his band Balkanopolis performed the Serbian melody “Song of Water” and “Bella Ciao!” .Slobodan was no stranger to Chinese audiences – he shared the stage of with pianist Lang Lang, violinist Lv Siqing at CCTV Spring Festival Gala 2023.

Tsvetnitsa, a troupe of Bulgariadance in their traditional attire performed a Bulgarian folk dance. The lively music tempos and rhythmic dance steps engulfed the audience in exuberance. Then, Wild Strings Trio from Slovenia, Slovakia and France performed jazz music, followed by Chinese folk music by a Beijing-based band, A-Play.Although their styles varied, each performance wasbrilliant and captivating.

The venue will also feature performances from the world-renowned Romanian world music band Dacus Lupus, bringing with them the ancient Transylvanian highland acoustics. The Wild Strings Trio from Slovenia and Slovakia will celebrate the purest jazz trio, while the PEIROS folk ensemble from Greece will represent the West Greece region and bring unique local folklore dances. Croatian singer Tea & The Band are in Beijing to astound. The Romanian band R3D, Bosnian musician Mario Zovko are also here to introduce the charm of pop music and electronic dance moves. Teachers and students from the Beijing Opera and Arts College will also bring performances of traditional dances from various regions.

Beyond the auditory and visual feast, delicate cuisines is a part that no one wants to miss on that day. What better way to delve into a new culture than through its cuisine? Many Chinese visitors overwhelmed the food stalls for Mediterranean foods from Greece, along with Czech Pilzeň, Bulgarian rose drinks, fried chips, croissant, and numerous other foreign delicacies they even could not name…. For most people who have busy schedules day to day, it is a luxury to leisurely enjoy such culinary delights in broad daylight. After all, you don’t drink Greek yoghurt in China that made by Greek every day.

The carnival also featured other cultural exchange elements, such as Hungarian traditional costumes and porcelain art, Romanian intangible heritage, and Slovenian literature and tourism resources, not to mention charming Chinese dolls intraditional costumes and other art crafts.

There is, arguably, no better way to spend a wonderful autumn day in Beijing. The carnival opens a window for Beijing residents to understand and appreciate the central and eastern European culture which they previously had limited exposure to. Moreover, the multi-faceted exchanges planted new seeds for future —perhaps leading to increased Chinese tourism in these countries and expanded market opportunities for CEE countries in China.

As part of the 2023 Liangma River International Arts Festival, the carnival drew approximately ten thousand visitors, including internet celebrities to check in. Representatives and scholars from France, Portugal, Georgia and the Netherlands were also in attendance.

This event was hosted by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and Beijing’s Chaoyang District, and organized by Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center. The embassies of the participating CEE countries to China provided crucial support, contributing to its great success.