10 December 2014

From Beijing to the Capital’s Santa Party

Beijing’s largest student cultural group to visit Wellington will fly in to the Capital ahead of Santa’s reindeer to feature in the Wellington Santa Parade this weekend.

The award-winning troupe of 54 students from Beijing’s China Youth University of Political Studies (CYUPS) will join Santa’s Parade on Sunday 14 Decemberand will also perform for Santa’s After Party at Frank Kitts Park.

The CYUPS group was invited to visit Wellington by Mayor Wade-Brown during her visit to Beijing, one of Wellington’s sister cities, in May this year. She enjoyed the performances from CYUPS including a Tibetan folk dance and a rendition of Po Kare Kare Ana in both te reo Maori and Mandarin.

“The troupe from Beijing’s China Youth University of Political Studies will add international flair to this weekend’s Santa Parade,” says Mayor Wade-Brown.

“I’m thrilled to host our Chinese guests in the Capital, their performances will add a new dimension to our festivities this weekend as well as further strengthen the warm relations between Wellington and Beijing and our other Chinese partners.”

Before the parade, the students will present a special show with traditional and modern Chinese music, singing, and dance at Te Marae, level 4 of Te Papa, on Saturday 13 December from 1pm.

The CYUPS group will also visit Whitireia University’s Faculty of Arts, enjoy a Maori culture experience with Te Ara Whanui Kura Kaupapa and Nga Uri o Tamarau, and tour Wellington before returning to China on Monday 15 December.

CYUPS has grown to be China’s largest training institution for high-ranking youth leaders. Former China President Hu Jintao was President of CYUPS in 1985 and current China Prime Minister Li Keqian was President of CYUPS from 1993 to 1998.

The visit builds on a productive 2014 for Wellington’s relations with China. In May, Mayor Wade-Brown led an economic and education-focused delegation to China and Japan.

In November, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Wellington and Xiamen to establish a Chinese Garden on Wellington’s waterfront, and another MOU was signed between Mayor Wade-Brown and the Chinese Vice Minister of Culture Dong Wei for the Chinese Ministry of Culture to open a China Culture Centre based in Wellington.

ENDS

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