Feature: Brazil-China closer relations boost cultural exchange

Citizens of Rio De Janeiro received this week a group of Chinese artists who brought Chinese culture to the Brazilian city, in a dual celebration for the Chinese New Year and the 450th anniversary of the city's foundation.

The cultural gala, named "Cultures of China -- Spring Festival," was held in the City of Arts, one of Rio's newest music halls. It is an international event aimed at promoting Chinese culture in other countries.

The same group who performed in Rio has already visited Panama City and Chile's capital city Santiago. Its next destination is Sao Paulo, which has the largest Chinese community in Brazil.

Ma Guangfeng, secretary-general of the Brazil-China Culture Exchange Chamber and one of the event's organizers, told Xinhua that the festival takes place in Rio every year since 2009.

According to Ma, events related to Chinese culture have been increasing in Brazil in recent years, as relations between China and Brazil get closer.

"In the past years, we have had at least two large events per year," said Ma.

In addition to the "Cultures of China" event, there was also another large Chinese New Year celebration in Brazil in the past month, in Sao Paulo.

This year, the party lasted two days and gathered over 100,000 people, offering an rare opportunity for Brazilians to learn more about Chinese customs, food, arts and language.

This year's "Cultures of China" festival was more focused in Kung Fu/Wushu, as the Chinese martial art already has a consolidated presence in Brazil and was bound to attract more attention to the event, but there were also dance and music performances.

Kung Fu has been popular in Brazil since the 1960s, and the National Kung Fu/Wushu Confederation was founded in 1992 in Brazil. Since then, it has already organized 22 national championships. The country also hosted one South American and two Pan-American championships.

The Confederation has 5,000 registered athletes, but it is estimated that over 100,000 people in Brazil practice Kung Fu/Wushu.

Tai Chi Chuan is also widely practiced in Brazil. In the Brazilian capital city Brasilia, an outdoor practice in a local park was declared a cultural heritage of the city in 2007.

In addition to Chinese martial arts, Ma said, the Chinese language is also attracting an increasing number of Brazilians.

"Many people have searched to learn Mandarin," he said.

There are eight branches of the Confucius Institute in Brazil, with two Confucius classrooms at other institutions. Most of them are located in the southeastern region, where Chinese presence is more solid.

Moreover, there are also Confucius institutes in Brasilia, Porto Alegre and Recife, reflecting a growth in the demand for the Chinese language all over Brazil.

In addition, some of the local language schools also offer Chinese classes. As businesses between Brazil and China become more prominent, Brazilians' interest in the Chinese language rises as well.

The cultural exchange is bound to keep growing as Brazil and China boost their ties as strategic partners and their relations get closer over the years. Endi