Malaysians gain Chinese cultural enrichment with touch of nature

Malaysian dancers perform traditional dancing during the opening ceremony of the China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Month-Fun with Nature campaign in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sept. 26, 2020. The China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Month-Fun with Nature campaign kicked off on Saturday at Malaysia's National Zoo, drawing over 1,000 visitors on its first day. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

The China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Month-Fun with Nature campaign kicked off on Saturday at Malaysia's National Zoo, drawing over 1,000 visitors on its first day.

Running for three weeks, a series of activities will be organized every weekend including cultural performances, cultural exhibition of traditional Chinese arts and crafts as well as other activities.

With multiple booths set up outside the Giant Panda Conservation Center, curious members of the public dropped by to see the displays up close, including bottle painting and paper cutting demonstrations.

Among them, Ahmad Faisal Abdullah, who had come to see Yi Yi, the second giant panda born in Malaysia, with his children said the booths provided an interesting look at Chinese traditional craft.

"It is a good location. My kids and I are having a look before seeing Yi Yi, and this traditional cultural display is an added bonus," he said.

The campaign is organized by the China Cultural Center in Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with the zoo and supported by Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the organizer said in a statement.

It included joint cultural performances by Malaysians and Chinese such as a Chinese face-changing by a Malaysian performer and a Chinese martial arts display.

Zhang Jiexin, the director of the China Cultural Center in Kuala Lumpur, said the event aims to promote tourism while allowing visitors and tourists to partake in enriched cultural experience while being close to nature in a fun-filled manner.

The campaign will allow visitors to enrich themselves with Chinese culture, including the Mid-Autumn Festival. The event is in conjunction with "China-Malaysia Year of Culture and Tourism 2020".