The Chinese Culture Festival to be held in Saint Petersburg and MoscowThe Festival is part of the program of the China-Russia Years of Culture and will be the highlight of the XI Saint Petersburg International United Cultures Forum

The Chinese Culture Festival will start on 11 September in St. Petersburg on the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre and will continue on 15 September in Moscow on the Main Stage of the Maly Theatre.

The Long Yun Martial Arts Troupe of China was founded in 2006 by world-famous actor, director, producer, and martial arts master Jackie Chan. He personally selected eleven talented, creative, and experienced young people from millions of applicants studying and practicing kung fu all over China. The eleven fighters of the Long Yun Troupe cherish the fundamental nature of martial arts, through which they express their feelings and present kung fu as a unique artistry.

The troupe’s performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg will feature the program Eleven Warriors. This is a five-act show revealing the essence of martial arts: Weapon, Soul, Mastery, Silence, and Celebration. Created in the spirit of ancient Chinese traditions, the production will display the history of kung fu – from the origins of the teaching to the most sophisticated modern techniques.

Having mastered various forms of Chinese arts, the participants of the troupe demonstrate how deeply the principles of kung fu are rooted in the culture of their country. The main goal of any form of combat is to protect, defend and win. However, the Eleven Warriors makes it quite clear that combat only becomes an art when practice is transformed into a structured form of training that goes beyond aggression. The literal meaning of the term kung fu is not confined to fighting, but implies the pursuit of mastery and perfection.

The troupe has already taken part in hundreds of shows and starred in dozens of films. Over the past three years, they have toured more than 60 countries. The ingenious skills of the Long Yun Troupe members have been highly appreciated all over the world and have received recognition from great masters.

The troupe’s performances will be accompanied by the soloist of the Jun Tian Fang Musical Association (recognized by the Chinese government as an Organization for the protection of intangible cultural heritage at the national level) – Zhang Lu (guqin). Zhang Lu is a laureate of numerous competitions, such as  the Third China Guqin Youlan Yangchun Competition, and the holder of various scholarships including the National Scholarship. She is a member of the Professional Guqin Committee at the Association of National Orchestras of China.

The events will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Federal State Budgetary Cultural Institution ROSCONCERT