Seychelles-China Day ends with cultural show and bazaar |20 January 2020

The Seychelles-China Day has become a significant platform for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between our two countries, and effectively strengthen our mutual understanding and friendship.

To mark the end of this year’s Seychelles-China Day celebrations a cultural performance and Chinese bazaar were held on Saturday in the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS) auditorium and in its car park.

In attendance were the Chinese ambassador Guo Wei, Speaker of the National Assembly Nicholas Prea, principal secretary for the department of Culture Cecile Kalebi, chief executive of the Creative Industries and National Events Agency (Cinea) Galen Bresson, the chairman of the Chinese Association Robert Chong Seng, invited guests and people who had come to enjoy the show.

The special performance of the Troupe unfolded the great charm of the unique Dunhuang culture and offered a glimpse into the fascinating history of the ancient Silk Road. The cultural show included performances by Chinese folk artist who delighted the crowd with traditional music from their home town and acrobatic performances that left the attendees in awe.

The final performance of the afternoon included all the troupes as they conveyed the message of love and continued friendship between Seychelles and China.

Following the show the audience made their way to the ICCS car park where the Chinese bazaar was already in full swing. This year, the bazaar saw the strong support of the Chinese community in Seychelles, attracting 24 vendors. Those included the Chinese embassy, the local Chinese community, Chinese enterprises in Seychelles, the Confucius Institute and the Chinese medical team and Chilli Bar & Restaurant.

“Even though we are in Seychelles, the food, the music, the performances make me feel like we are at home,” said Angel Lowe, who came with her family.

In his address before officially opening the bazaar, the chairman of the Chinese Association, Robert Chong Seng, noted that we are celebrating the spring festival and also the fusion of one of the ingredients of this Seychellois melting pot, the Chinese culture.

“The Chinese who arrived in Seychelles 150 years ago and their descendants integrated well and contributed to the way we eat and live in this paradise,” said Mr Chong Seng.

The accompanying photographs taken by our photographer Jude Morel show some highlights of the cultural show and the bazaar.

Christophe Zialor