China's acrobatic troupe performs underground shows in Colombia

A skilled acrobatic troupe from southwestern China performed over the weekend at a famed cathedral in Colombia which is located about 180 meters underground.

The troupe named "Cirque Du Chengdu" staged captivating shows to the audience at Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, a leading Colombian tourist attraction built inside a salt mine about 50 km from the capital city of Bogota.

The group, with around 200 musicians and acrobats, had traveled in the U.S. cities of Houston and Los Angeles before arriving at the South American country.

"In Colombia, we have been very welcomed and we hope the public likes our shows," troupe manager Xiong Xiaohong told Xinhua.

The shows were the first of a series of cultural exchange activities held this month with participants from eight countries.

A photo exhibition showing the landscape of China's southwestern province of Sichuan was also among them, said Juan Pablo Garcia, tourism coordinator of the Salt Cathedral.

We hope to make the Salt Cathedral better known abroad through the cultural and tourist exchanges on a global scale, said Garcia.

Built in the 1950s, the cathedral is a popular tourist destination and a pilgrimage site. Endi