Recently, the West Ryde Art Troupe from Sydney visited Dapeng for a series of cultural and tourism exchange activities.

On the morning of the event, the troupe visited Dapeng Fortress, where students from a local primary school guided international guests in both Chinese and English through its historical sites.

Visitors also experienced a series of traditional performances, including kylin dances, Dapeng Hakka sun hat dances, local dialect recitations, and folk songs. Chinese and Australian artists engaged in impromptu interactions, learning the Dapeng dialect and local songs together.

The troupe later visited a local restaurant to learn how to make traditional tea cakes and glutinous rice cakes under the guidance of intangible cultural heritage artisans, and sampled local dishes including duck specialties and sea urchin zongzi, immersing themselves in Shenzhen’s living intangible cultural heritage.

In the afternoon, a performance event was held at Luzui Villa. Highlights included local heritage acts such as straw dragon dances and Dongshan fishermen’s songs; a Chinese ritual dance performance showcased the elegance of traditional etiquette; and Cantonese opera and Yao ethnic dances were also presented.

A Chinese ritual dance performance.

In the “Western Classics” segment, the Sydney troupe performed piano solos and vocal pieces, including the songs “My Heart Will Go On” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”

The program’s climax featured collaborative performances between Chinese and Australian artists, including four-hand piano duets, joint choir performances, and a full-cast rendition of “Jasmine Flower” performed together with the audience, celebrating cross-cultural artistic exchange.