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May 8: A Glimpse of China–Seattle Chinese Culture and Arts Festival (Virtual Event)

Music, Movement and Online Exploration 

Seattle Center Festál: Glimpse of China–Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 8, online at Facebook, seeks to explore and promote 5,000 years of Chinese culture and heritage with live streaming music, martial arts and other Chinese movement traditions, demonstrations and decorative arts.  

The online festival highlights traditional Chinese music. Pipa players from Seattle Chinese Orchestra perform The Beautiful Spring on this short-neck Chinese lute-like instrument. The full orchestra offers an arrangement of Shepherdess Song on traditional instruments, and a percussion ensemble from the group presents a rhythmic Holiday Celebration. In addition, China’s oldest musical instrument, the seven-stringed plucked Guqin, is featured in performance, and members of the Zhenlun Cello Studio will play Chinese music on this Western instrument.   

The festival offers plenty of movement as well. Members of the Seattle Wushu & Taichi Academy demonstrate this traditional martial art, which combines softness within hardness and slow motion with fast motion. The Wudang Martial Art Academy shares a historical narrative video tracing the origins of their marital art, complete with training, exhibition and competition footage, and students from the Chinese Dances Academy showcase traditional dances they have performed for major Chinese holidays such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.   

A Glimpse of China also features Ancient Chinese Tea Ceremony, Diancha, the Song Dynasty method, and a short film honoring the craftmanship of traditional Ming Dynasty furniture. 

View the program details click here.

Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. The series, presented virtually in 2021, provides a forum for cultural groups to come together and share their stories with the greater community. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression.   

Seattle Center presents Festál: Glimpse of China – Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival in partnership with the Washington Chinese Arts & Culture Committee. Streaming is free of charge. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or call 206-684-7200.   

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About Seattle Center Festál:

Seattle Center Festál, Where the World Gathers, presents 24 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year, virtually in 2021, to connect people in ways that build understanding, dispel stereotypes and generate pride among the generations who participate in these shared experiences. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, 4Culture, the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.