A troupe from the Guizhou province will perform in Kalkara later this month, ushering in the Chinese New Year and raising funds in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Founded in 1983, the Guizhou Congjiang theatre company specialises in the folk performances and ethnic minority art of the south-western Chinese province it hails from. About 37 per cent of the province’s population (37.64 million) comes from 17 indigenous ethnic minority groups.

The troupe, which has performed around the globe from Japan to Spain and Russia to Mexico, was invited by the China Cultural Centre in Malta to participate in events marking the international Chinese Spring Festival, themed Happy Chinese New Year by the Culture Ministry of China.

Chinese New Year is a manifestation of traditional values

Rooted in over 4,000 years of history, the New Year is considered by the Chinese to be their grandest festival. Associated with family reu-nion, peace, prosperity and harmony between man and nature, the Chinese New Year is a manifestation of traditional values.

The numbers to be presented by the Guizhou troupe will include the Dong Grand Chorus, which was inscribed in Unesco’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, and the Miao Fanpai Wooden Drum Dance, among others.

The event will take place on January 19 at 6pm at St Margaret College Primary School, Kalkara.

Entrance is at €2 per person, with all proceeds in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. Tickets are available from the college Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm and from the Kalkara local council Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm and Saturday from 8.30am to 11am.

More information about the performances, co-organised by the China Cultural Centre in Malta and the Kalkara council in collaboration with St Margaret College Kalkara Primary School, is available on 2166 5500 or via e-mail at elaine.caruana@gov.mt.

The Guizhou Congjiang theatre company specialises in folk performances.