Chinese culture displayed in London

LONDON — A vigorous lion dance, a waist drum dance, cute pandas and a model of the Temple of Heaven, all these typical Chinese features were showcased at the annual Lord Mayor's Show held in London on Saturday.

The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the oldest civic processions in the United Kingdom. Every year, around 7,000 people and 200 horses take part in the event which has a history of over 800 years.

Led by two red taxis, a team with more than 50 performers from the Zhejiang UK Association, or the ZJUKA, showcased Chinese traditional performances, including the ribbon dance and waist drum dance.

Qian Linglong, a member of the association who carried the banner of the team, said the ZJUKA has participated in the show five times.

"We'd like to bring some cultural diversity to the City of London and thus foster understanding between the UK and China," Qian added.

"Panda is like a universal symbol of peace and friendliness. Everybody likes a panda," said Peter Hollingsworth, who wore a panda costume in the team.

Themed "10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road — Connecting East and West", a parade float decorated by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, exhibited design elements like "camels, desert, oasis", "pandas, bamboo", "lion dance, lanterns, high-speed rail", all related to Chinese culture and main features of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The models of two iconic buildings, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, on the float caught spectators' eyes. According to the chamber, they represented elements of Eastern and Western cultures along the prominent trade and cultural route known as the Silk Road.

Towed by an electric truck, the float of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London was accompanied by a group of dragon dancers. The float displayed a giant dragon-style body and green landscape of Hong Kong, symbolizing Hong Kong's plan to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent before 2035 as compared with the 2005 level.

London elects a Lord Mayor every year. Alderman Michael Mainelli, the 695th Lord Mayor, traveled in a golden carriage on Saturday and waved to crowds. The duty of the Lord Mayor is to promote and represent the City of London.

Xinhua