On January 10, 2016, the city of Montreal once again hosted the Chinese New Year gala. This gala was held at the Place des Arts theatre and welcomed more than 3,000 spectators. The fifth edition of the Chinese New Year Gala was presented in collaboration with the Confucius Institute in Quebec and several arts associations. The Chinese New Year evening in Montreal has become an annual event that plays an increasingly important role in spreading Chinese culture and promoting Sino-Canadian cultural exchange.

Welcome speeches and New Year greetings were offered by Mr. Richard Filion, President of the Confucius Institute in Quebec and Director General of Dawson College, Mr. Yigang Li, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Montreal, and Mrs. Meng Rong, Executive Director of the Confucius Institute in Quebec.

The show began with a dance called Rhythm of Spring, where artists introduced us to spring through art. It was followed by a performance that merged elements of the Peking Opera with modern dance titled Spring Golden Monkeys. In it, the monkey king led a troop of cute little monkeys who offered the audience a joyful program. Their comedy performance sparked laughter and applause throughout the theatre.

One of the most popular programs was the Mongolian opera performed by singer WU YUN QI MU GE, who traveled from Mongolia to Canada especially for this New Year gala. Accompanied by professional Mongolian dancers, her magnificent voice resonated through the theatre, fascinating the listeners.

Among many other elements, a show of designer QI PAO’s work was displayed by Chinese mannequins. They not only demonstrated the elegance of Qi Paoâ’s oriental robes, but also interpreted the theme of the well-known Chinese film In the atmosphere of love.

The program of the evening sought to demonstrate, on the one hand, conflict, and on the other, communication between Eastern and Western cultures. For example, the dance Four beauties in Chinese history, the acrobatics in Umbrella and the dance of Tea revealed the differences between Chinese and Western culture whereas the Chinese song This is me and the Italian opera O. Sole Mio, interpreted by the Chinese national singer JIANJUN LIU, expressed the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. Canadian artists were also in evidence at the gala and wowed the spectators with an exciting magic show.

The evening ended with the dance Dragon and Phoenix. Led by the Chinese choreographer of the Grand Ballet de Montreal, their remarkable performance won warm applause.

Although the Chinese New Year gala was over, fans were still excited about the show. The Confucius Institute in Quebec received letters and congratulations from Western admirers expressing their interest in Chinese culture days after the show had ended. They voiced their hope that similar events offering them another opportunity to better understand Eastern culture would be organized. Given the encouragement within the local community to strengthen understanding and friendship between China and Canada, the Confucius Institute in Quebec will continue its efforts to disseminate Chinese culture in Canada.