Feature: Chinese performers bring cultural diversity to London's Lord Mayor's Show

Photo/China News

LONDON, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vigorous lion dance, waist drum dance, cute pandas and model of the Temple of Heaven, all these typical Chinese features were showcased in the annual "Lord Mayor's Show" held Saturday in City of London and brought cultural diversity to the event.

The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the oldest civic processions in the United Kingdom (UK). Every year, around 7,000 people and 200 horses participate in the event which has a history of over 800 years.

Led by two red LEVC taxis, a team with more than 50 performers from Zhejiang UK Association (ZJUKA), showcased Chinese traditional performances including the ribbon dance and waist drum dance.

Qian Linglong, a ZJUKA member who carried the banner of the team, said that ZJUKA has participated in the Lord Mayor's Show five times.

"We'd like to bring some cultural diversity to the City of London and thus foster understanding between the UK and China," Qian added.

"Panda is like a universal symbol of peace and friendliness. Everybody likes a panda," Peter Hollingsworth, who dressed in the panda costume in the ZJUKA team, told Xinhua.

Themed "10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road -- Connecting East and West", a parade float decorated by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK), exhibits design elements like "camels, desert, oasis", "pandas, bamboo", "lion dance, lanterns, high-speed rail", all related to Chinese culture and main features of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The models of two iconic buildings, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and the St. Paul's Cathedral in London, on the float caught spectators' eyes. According to the chamber, they represented elements of Eastern and Western cultures along the prominent trade and cultural route known as the Silk Road.

Towed by an electric truck, the float of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London was accompanied by a group of dragon dancers. The float displayed a giant dragon-style body and green landscape of Hong Kong, symbolizing Hong Kong's plan to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent before 2035 as compared to the 2005 level.

City of London elects a new Lord Mayor every year. Alderman Michael Mainelli, the 695th Lord Mayor of London, traveled in a golden carriage on Saturday and waved to crowds. The duty of the Lord Mayor is to promote and represent the City of London.

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Tong Lin