China shines on culture

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 13:30:46 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

ZAMBIA and the rest of the world can learn more from China on cultural heritage and preservation, says Tourism and Arts Minister Charles Banda.

Mr. Banda said the country had benefited immensely from a diverse range of training opportunities in the area of intangible cultural heritage under the Chinese foreign aid training project.

Speaking at the just-ended international festival of intangible cultural heritage in Chengdu China, the minister said the lessons were not only on how to preserve and safeguard intangible cultural heritage but also how to successfully showcase and celebrate humanity’s cultural diversity.

In a statement issued yesterday, ministry public relations officer Sakabilo Kalembwe said Zambian professionals had been accorded rare opportunities to travel to China for different specialised training openings not only in the area of intangible cultural heritage but in creative arts and culture in general.

Mr. Banda said Zambia had generally performed well in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

“As a country and the rest of the world we can learn more from China on cultural heritage and preservation,” he said.

He said both the Gule Wamkulu traditional dance of the Chewa people and Makishi masquerade of the Luvale people were among Zambia’s celebrated intangible cultural heritage.

Mr. Banda who is PF Kapoche Member of Parliament said among its social and cultural functions, the Gule Wamkulu was a ritual dance which was used as a tool of initiation of male Chewa adolescents into adulthood.

He said the Makishi masquerades, which was popular throughout Zambia and displayed at the Likumbi Lya Mize was one such masterpiece of art.

Mr Banda said Zambia cherishes the warm relations it enjoys with China and that this enabled the two sister countries to easily cooperate in various development sectors without any prejudice.