September 22, 2026

From September 17 to 19, the 2026 “A Moonment to Remember” Mid-Autumn performancesby the China National Peking Opera Company was held at the Cultural Foundation Theatre in Abu Dhabi and the theatre at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Dubai, the UAE. With the theme of “Meet Peking Opera in the UAE,” artists from the China National Peking Opera Company presented a showcase of Peking Opera, one of China’s most celebrated traditional art forms. Zeng Jixin, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE; Ou Boqian, Consul General of China in Dubai; Wang Yong, President of the China National Peking Opera Company; Mohammed, Director of the Department of Tourism Development at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism; Samira, Director of Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi; Tamimi, Director of the Library Affairs Department at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, and other Chinese and foreign guests attended and enjoyed the performance together with Peking Opera enthusiasts in the UAE, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. The China National Peking Opera Company presented a special performance of classic excerpt operas featuring a full range of role types and both civil and martial scenes for Chinese and foreign audiences. On the Crossroad depicted a thrilling night‑time fight through stylized movements. Selling Water, graceful and fresh, showcased the vivid charm of the Huadan (young female role in Peking Opera). In the renowned Mei Lanfang school masterpiece The King Bidding Farewell To His Consort, Yu Ji’s sword dance was graceful, poignant and deeply moving. The closing piece Havoc in The Heavenly Kingdom featured spectacular and delightful martial sequences, drawing continuous applause and cheers from the audience amid a vibrant atmosphere. During their visit to the UAE, artists from the China National Peking Opera Company held exchanges with members of the local arts and cultural community at Dubai Opera. They also visited Chinese School Dubai and the Bank of China Dubai Branch. Through interactive performances, on-site face-painting workshops and Peking Opera costume experience sessions, they introduced the history, costumes, facial masks and fundamental performing skills of singing, recitation, acting and acrobatics of Peking Opera to Chinese and foreign teachers and students at the school as well as Chinese and foreign employees of the enterprise. The events allowed overseas Chinese to experience the charm of national quintessence, and enabled foreign friends to gain a more direct understanding of traditional Chinese art. Under the guidance of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, this event was co-hosted by Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, China National Peking Opera Company and China Cultural Center in the UAE, with support from Bank of China. The two performances and multiple exchange activities drew over 1,500 participants. They vividly interpreted the cultural connotations of reunion, harmony and happiness embodied in the Mid-Autumn Festival for local residents, giving fresh impetus to China-UAE cultural and people-to-people exchanges.