Chinese magicians perform traditional Chinese magic during the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 13, 2024. Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)
by Li Huizi
WELLINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast.
The town hall was packed with audience to watch the debut show of the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour on Friday evening in Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand's South Island.
"This is more than just a magic show. It's a journey into rich cultural traditions and history," said Liu Jia, executive director of Magic Moments NZ who organized the show tour in partnership with the China Acrobats Association.
Rachel McErlain, a member of the audience, said Friday's performance was fabulous, entertaining and fantastic.
For the first time to watch the Chinese magic, McErlain also thought it was very emotional, with the stage decoration carrying significant symbols.
"It was good that they translated some of it, but the performance was almost very physical, with lots of movement," McErlain said, adding she quite enjoyed the part of the Tianjin Clapper Talk. "The rhythm was amazing."
Chinese magic dates back to the Qin and Han Dynasties in ancient China, with a history of 2,000 years. The performing art is renowned for its mystique and intricate techniques. It not only showcases extraordinary skills but also blends rich cultural elements and deep historical traditions. Classic acts include face-changing, producing objects out of thin air, and levitation, each leaving the audience in awe.
The fifth and sixth generations of Tianjin magician inheritors have been invited this time to travel all the way from China to New Zealand, showcasing the most original quintessence of Chinese culture, Liu told Xinhua, adding each performer is a master of Chinese magic, boasting hundreds of successful performances to entertain people.
This is the first time a dedicated Chinese magic show has been brought out of China to highlight this unique intangible cultural heritage, which means the entire 90-minute show is devoted to Chinese magic, said Liu, adding it is "very rare to see this kind of show."
Regarding the performance style of Chinese magic, Guo Yuwen, the leading magician of the tour, said the Chinese Tianjin magic emphasizes the cooperation of two people on the stage. Although this increases the performing difficulty, the audience can get more fun from the humorous interactions of performers, plus the magic skills.
Some English explanation of the skills was added in the performance, which hopefully provided more background information to the local people, Liu said.
The performance tour will cover four New Zealand cities including Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin, with audiences expected to be around 5,000.
The tour's video promotion on a social media website attracted almost 200,000 hits and views before the initial show, indicating a strong interest from the local people, Liu said. ■
A Chinese magician (R) interacts with an audience during a performance of the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 13, 2024. Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)
Chinese magicians perform traditional Chinese magic during the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 13, 2024. Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)
A Chinese magician performs traditional Chinese magic during the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 13, 2024. Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua)
