JERUSALEM, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Kungfu performed at the Akko Festival in the northern Israeli city of Akko from Monday to Wednesday added a special festive atmosphere to the event and won great popularity with the locals.
Akko, known for its historical sites and tourist attractions, has previously hosted various China-related cultural activities.
This year, the Akko Festival coincided with the Jewish Sukkot holiday and China's National Day holiday, drawing visitors from across Israel. Starting from sundown, Kungfu performances were staged each night for three consecutive days. Before the start of each performance, the stage was packed with spectators eager to occupy front spots.
The performances were held beside the walls of the Old City of Akko, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The superb skills of more than 20 monks from central China's Henan Province, the birthplace of the world-famous Shaolin Kungfu, stunned the spectators and won bursts of applause and cheers.
"I remember in my childhood, I was waiting the whole year for the Akko Festival, which happens only once a year. I'm still excited even 30 years later. This year was very special because I watched the Kungfu show for the first time, and it was so amazing and made the festival a bigger event," Maor Hatuel, a citizen of Akko told Xinhua.
The China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv is a partner of the Akko Festival. Shi Yuewen, director of the center, said this is the first time a large-scale Chinese cultural and artistic group has performed in Israel after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is crucial to promoting cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.
"Shaolin Kungfu is an important representative of Chinese culture overseas. The wonderful performances for three consecutive days proved the charm of martial arts and reflected the popularity of Chinese culture here," he added. ■
