1. Chinese Delegations Visiting South Africa

 

 ? A 8-member Chinese TV shooting team came successively to South Africa in April and May, 2005 for shooting a TV series entitled Zheng He and His Voyages Overseas. The Chinese shooting team paid an on-the-spot investigations in such places as Cultural and History Museum, the Museum of Pretoria University and South African National Archive and got some first hand information about Chinese porcelains, ancient Chinese paintings and clothes which have been proved to be left over by Zheng He's fleet when they came to the eastern coasts of African continent in Ming Dynasty between the year of 1405 and 1433.

 

? At the invitation of the Department of Sports and Recreation of the Republic of South Africa, a 5-member Chinese Sports Delegation, headed by Mr. Duan Shi Jie, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of the People's Republic of China, paid a friendly visit to South Africa from May 27^th to June 1^st, 2005. Both sides held extensive discussions and exchanges in the fields of ping pang and diving and reached a Letter of Intention which stipulates that Chinese coaches will be invited to come to South Africa for training South African divers and ping pang players.

 

 ? Invited by the South African Martial Arts Association, a 20-member Chinese Martial Arts Delegation, headed by Mr. Wang Yu Long, visited South Africa and showed the performances of Chinese Martial Arts to the local audience from August 6^th to 9^th, 2005. The fantastic Chinese Martial Arts had left a deep impressions among the local and Chinese people.

 

? At the invitation of the Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, a 6-member China World Heritage Delegation attended the 29^th World Heritage Conference which was held in Durban, South Africa from July 8^th to 20^th, 2005. By the end of 2005, Chinese government donated US$ 30,000 to African World Heritage Protection Foundation so as to assist the protection of the world heritage protection in Africa continent and personal training in this field.

 

? A 6-member Chinese Weihai Cultural Delegation, headed by Mr. Yu Lan Mu, Chairman of Weihai Committee of CPPCC, paid a visit to South African National Archive and the Museum of Pretoria University from August 20^th to 28^th, 2005. During their visit, the Chinese Delegation also held friendly discussions with Professor Harris from Pretoria University who is engaged in the research of overseas Chinese. Both sides had academic exchanges in the fields of Chinese workers who came to work in South Africa a hundred years ago.

 

? At the invitation of the Theme Park of Golden Reef City, South Africa, a 21-member Changchun Acrobatic Troupe, Jilin Province, the People's Republic of China, embarked on a commercial performance tour to South Africa from November 26^th, 2005 to January 9^th, 2006. This was the first time for Chinese government to send its art delegation to stage their commercial performances in South Africa, which could not only be regarded as a trial balloon in this field, but also accumulated some valuable experience for introducing Chinese art delegations to perform in South Africa for commercial purposes in the near future.

 

 

2. South African Delegations Visiting China

 

     ? A 3-member South African Delegation, headed by Mr. Themba Wakashe, Deputy Director-general of the Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, was invited by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China to come to China from May 23^rd to 26^th, 2005 for discussing the protection of the world cultural heritages and personal training in this field.

 

? A 6-member South African Rainbow Art Delegation attended Nan Ning International Folk Song Festival from October 19^th to 22^nd, 2005, at the invitation of the Preparatory Committee of the Festival. The South African artists presented the genuine and popular folk songs and dances of Africa to the local Chinese audience. Their wonderful performances had not only been widely reported in the local media, but also left good impressions among Chinese people.

 

? At the invitation of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China, a 4-member delegation headed by Ms. Punka Mdaka, the Deputy Director of the International Liaison Division of the Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa paid an official visit to China from November 26^th to December 6^th, 2005. The Delegation members paid an on spot investigation visit to some museums in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, where they held friendly discussions with Chinese counterparts in the fields of the protections of cultural heritages and personal training. Both sides agreed to have further exchanges and cooperation in the protections of cultural heritages in the near future.