Tangier Celebrates Chinese New Year with Spectacular Performances

Tangier came alive Friday with a vibrant Chinese New Year celebration, featuring music, dance, and acrobatic performances put on by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and embassy in Morocco.

Rabat – On Friday, the Palais des Arts et de la Culture in Tangier hosted a vibrant artistic celebration marking the Chinese New Year.

Held under the theme “The Wonders of the Silk Road,” the evening featured a rich program of performances showcasing Chinese culture, including dance, traditional music, and acrobatic acts.

Initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Morocco, in collaboration with the China Cultural Center in Rabat, the event was animated by the Gansu Song and Dance Theatre, offering attendees an immersive artistic experience.

Among the standout performances were the iconic dance “Guanyin of a Thousand Hands,” as well as the musical piece “The Young Man Under the Moon,” performed using the erhu and pipa, two traditional Chinese instruments.

Acrobatic acts also marked the evening, notably “At the Rhythm of the Whip, Luck Arrives” and “The Grace of the Jars.” Other performances included “Descendants of the Dragon,” the Vajra dance, “A Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix,” and “Dance of the Golden Snake,” showcasing the depth and diversity of China’s artistic heritage.

Through dance and music, the show traced the cultural legacy of the Silk Road, evoking centuries of cultural exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations. The choice of Gansu, a region historically linked to this route and to the art of Dunhuang, reinforced the historical dimension of the performance.

Beyond these performances, the celebration embraced a moment of cultural fusion. Moroccan culture was also present through a reinterpretation of the renowned song “Marsoul El Hob” by Abdelwahab Doukkali, performed using traditional Chinese instruments, blending Moroccan and Chinese musical traditions into a single artistic expression.

The Chinese New Year ushers in the new lunar cycle and stands as the most significant event in the country’s traditional calendar. Commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, it marks the beginning of a new zodiac year, which this time is designated as the Year of the Horse.

Beyond Tangier, celebrations of the Chinese New Year were also held in Rabat on Wednesday. In Tangier, the program continues, with additional events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday as part of the ongoing celebration of the Lunar New Year.