The renowned China National Peking Opera Company performed in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Thursday to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, offering audiences a unique glimpse into one of the world's most distinguished theatrical traditions.
The performance included four classic excerpts: "The Crossroads," "Selling Water," "Farewell My Concubine," and "Havoc in Heaven."
Wang Yong, president of the National Peking Opera Company, said the excerpts were specifically selected to fully present the unique charm of the Chinese performing art form.
"These four play excerpts encompass singing, speech, acting, and fighting, fully showcasing the core performance characteristics of Peking Opera. Covering the major character types, they present a comprehensive display of the artistic splendor of our national heritage," said Wang.
Audience said watching Peking Opera in person was "magical" and the show was a fascinating display of stories.
"We've been exposed to it from before but online, through either TikTok or Instagram. We've seen it from there beforehand. And that's what drove me to want to come and visit and see it in person, you know. It looked magical on the screen, want to see if as magical in person, and it was," said an audience.
"I loved it. Every story was so beautifully told, with the movements, with the musicality. It was really a pleasure to watch. Such a rich story, each one," said another audience.
Organizers of the show also prepared a range of traditional Chinese cultural experiences for the audience, including festive lanterns, mooncakes, and scented sachets.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally associated with the full moon, which symbolizes unity, harmony and family reunion in China. This year, the festival falls on Sept 25.
Peking Opera performance staged in Abu Dhabi to celebrate upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival
The appeal of the Chinese market to global companies is both long-term and structural, said Danish Ambassador to China Michael Starbæk Christensen at the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
China has a huge consumer market and its economic innovation vitality is continuously growing, which is highly attractive to Danish companies, the ambassador said.
Denmark brought its latest innovations in life sciences to this year's CIIE.
Christensen said Danish exhibitors are showcasing multiple newest products in such areas as allergies, brain health, and gut health.
"This (medical and health industry) is our main focus this year as Denmark at the CIIE. [Our exhibition area] gets bigger every year, because this is our primary sector, and [with] a growing export to China," said Christensen.
Christensen said he felt Danish companies were increasingly joining the Chinese market, and that the CIIE has become an important platform for companies to show products, promote brands, and explore the Chinese market.
In 2025, China-Denmark bilateral trade reached 18.06 billion U.S. dollars, up 16.8 percent year on year. Of this, China's imports amounted to 7.35 billion U.S. dollars, up 21.3 percent year on year.
"And of course, after this, we need to get out in the real life. Denmark and China work very closely on healthcare, government to government," said Christensen.
"China is a huge market. So China itself is a place you have to be if you're a serious company that really wants to go global. I think here they (the enterprises) can show that they're still very vibrant and active, and come to the CIIE. So I hope this will impact the companies. So more orders, more activities," Christensen continued.
The CIIE, held from Nov 5 to 10, brings together 4,142 overseas exhibitors from 148 countries and regions.
Danish ambassador calls Chinese market's appeal long-term, structural
