The 2026 Duisburg China Festival commenced on Friday afternoon in Duisburg, Germany, with participation from Chinese and German cities, aiming to reinforce bilateral ties. The three-day event features cultural booths and interactive zones highlighting traditional Chinese cuisine, culture, and contemporary art.
On Friday evening, performing arts troupes from Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province, delivered the festival's opening gala. Nearly 40 artists presented over a dozen programs, including Peking opera, Hanju opera, Chuju opera, acrobatics, and ethnic song and dance. The performance captivated the audience, showcasing the diversity of Chinese performing arts.
Chang Haitao, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Dusseldorf, described the festival as a vivid expression of China-Germany exchange, allowing Germans to experience and understand China up close. He emphasized the importance of such cultural events in fostering mutual understanding.
The festival holds special significance as Duisburg and Wuhan became sister cities in 1982, the first such partnership between Germany and China. Over the decades, the two cities have maintained close people-to-people and economic exchanges, forging a lasting bond. Duisburg Mayor Soeren Link, impressed by the performance, stated that the opening gala was unforgettable for its standard, quality, richness, and the many different facets it presented. He reiterated Duisburg's commitment to the sister-city relationship and the desire to continue strengthening German-Chinese friendship and dialogue.
Markus Teuber, commissioner for China affairs at the Mayor's Office of Duisburg, noted that the rich array of theatrical, song, and dance performances provided German audiences with an excellent window into Chinese culture. He expressed hope for deeper cultural exchange between the two cities in the future.
For Yang Jing, deputy director of the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Wuhan's participation marks an important step in Wuhan culture's global outreach. The Duisburg China Festival, an annual signature cultural event, injects fresh grassroots momentum into the development of German-Chinese friendship.
The event underscores the enduring friendship between Duisburg and Wuhan, serving as a model for international city-to-city cooperation. By bringing traditional and contemporary Chinese arts to Germany, the festival enhances cultural appreciation and opens avenues for further collaboration in various fields.
