Chinese performers from Gansu Province staged a Dunhuang-inspired cultural showcase at the United Nations Office at Nairobi.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 10 — A vivid showcase of China’s ancient artistic traditions transformed the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) into a stage for cultural diplomacy on Tuesday, as performers from Gansu Province brought Dunhuang-inspired music, dance, and classical instrumentation to the heart of multilateral dialogue.

The cultural presentation, delivered by the Gansu Performance Company and its affiliate, Gansu Dance Troupe Co., Ltd., formed the centrepiece of the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations commemoration, blending performance art with China’s broader narrative of civilizational exchange and global cooperation.

Directed by Li Xin and led by Zhou Wenshuai, the troupe presented a carefully curated sequence of performances drawn from Dunhuang and Tang Dynasty artistic heritage—an aesthetic tradition rooted in China’s Silk Road history and long associated with cross-cultural exchange.

📌 What You Need to Know

The opening piece, Dunhuang Music and Dance , set the tone with flowing choreography and Silk Road-inspired costumes, evoking imagery from the ancient Mogao Caves frescoes.

Dancers Kang Qi, Xi Jiali, Yu Peixian, Zhao Anqi, Mao Shuaizhi, Mu Wei, and Zhang Bo performed in synchronized formations that blended classical movement vocabulary with contemporary stage direction.

The performance was followed by a solo pipa rendition of Ambush from All Sides , performed by Wang Yuanying, highlighting the precision and emotional intensity of traditional Chinese string music.

One of the most visually striking segments, Tang Dynasty • HuXuan Dance , revived the famed spinning dance style of the Tang court.

Performed by Xi Jiali, Zhao Anqi, and Mao Shuaizhi, the piece emphasized rapid rotational movement and balance, symbolizing the cosmopolitan vibrancy of medieval Chang’an.

The ancient musical segment Qingbei Yue , performed by He Jing, Li Na, and Wang Yuanying, introduced a softer tonal palette, drawing from reconstructed Dunhuang-era melodies.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya