Shaolin Kung Fu has found a welcome partner in Kalaripayattu, the classical martial arts form from ‘God's Own Country’. Six performers of Kalaripayattu joined hands with Shaolin exponents at a rare fusion of the two traditional art forms in the Chinese capital on Friday.
The occasion titled Kerala Evening organised at the Indian Embassy in Beijing by Kerala Tourism, which is making its foray into China, a vast market with 107 million Chinese tourists travelling worldwide, according to figures available for 2014.
A shared cultural heritage was the theme as Shaolin exponents effortlessly mingled with Kalaripayattu performers in a scintillating display of martial arts. Two Kathakali artistes from Kerala then went on to enthrall <g data-gr-id="49">audience</g>, which had the Who’s Who of Chinese travel and tourism industry.
“The breathtaking fusion of Kalaripayattu and Shaolin showed that Kerala and China have a lot in common,” said KeralaTourism Minister A P Anil Kumar, who is leading a high-level state delegation to China.
“Like Kerala, China has a rich tradition of classical art forms such as the famous Dragon dance, making it easy for us to understand the country and its culture and also for the people of China to understand our culture,” said Anil Kumar.
“Relations between the people of China and Kerala go back to centuries ago when traders from China and Kerala exchanged commodities like spices and silk,” said the Minister, adding that China and Kerala shared several cultural traditions like martial arts, ancient medicinal systems and even kitchen utensils. “Kerala is a tiny state of India, but it is blessed with a rich geographical and cultural diversity,” said Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, who is part of the state delegation. “With an easy connectivity and ideal proximity, Kerala is a natural destination for visitors from China,” he added.
“The first thing that tourists from worldwide see on our famous backwaters in Kerala is the Chinese fishing net along its coast. The most important thing in a kitchen in Kerala is the Chinese frying pan,” Thomson said referring to the cultural similarities between China and Kerala. Senior Chinese journalists, corporate executives, airline industry officials and tour operators were part of a select audience at the ‘Kerala Evening’ hosted by Kerala Tourism and the Indian Embassy. Indian Ambassador to China, Ashok K Kantha, was present on the occasion along with the Kerala Chief Secretary and Kerala Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao. A highlight of the occasion was a presentation on Kerala’s destinations by Rao.
Buoyed by the enthusiastic response to the martial arts fusion and Kathakali performance, Kerala Tourism will organise a repeat show of the two performances for the general public at the Indian Embassy on Saturday.
A similar show will also be organised on Saturday at the venue of the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2015. Kalaripayattu and backwaters <g data-gr-id="46">is</g> the theme of the Kerala Tourism pavilion at BITE 2015.
It is for the first time that Kerala Tourism is participating in the three-day BITE, the premier travel and tourism fair in Asia. Kerala Tourism and its industry partners from the state will also
participate in a road show in Shanghai on June 30. It will be the first road show ever by
Kerala Tourism in China.