Embassy showcases wonders of Yunnan

The Chinese embassy in the United States was expected to showcase the wonders of Yunnan province on Saturday, as it participates with more than 60 embassies as part of Passport DC's Around the World Embassy Tour.

The tour offers visitors a chance to experience food, art, dance, fashion, music, innovative technology and crafts from different countries.

Themed "Yunnan: A Many-Splendored Life", the embassy will showcase the folk arts, music, songs and dances of the Southwest China province's local ethnic populations during its open house.

Visitors can expect to fully immerse themselves in the Chinese cultural experience tour, which includes spectacular performances by artists from the Yunnan Lantern Theater and the Honghe Prefecture Ethnic Culture Working Group along with superb performances by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.

Visitors can also tour the Chinese embassy building, view its collection of artworks, taste Yunnan specialty tea and coffee, try Chinese calligraphy, dress up in traditional Chinese costumes, and take photos with giant panda dolls.

Performance groups such as The Stephanie Chou Quartet and the Chinatown Lion Dancers will entertain guests outside the embassy. They will perform songs such as Hopping Birds and Fernleaf Bamboo in the Moonlight and Melody.

The Chinese embassy's warm beige-hued French limestone is used for the exterior walls in recognition of the limestone found in typical federal buildings throughout Washington, DC. The building features a fusion of traditional philosophies and modernity of Chinese architecture.

Passport DC, the District of Columbia's monthlong cultural celebration, is one of this city's most distinctive spring traditions. This year's Around the World Embassy Tour has a record number of participants.

The embassy tours and Passport DC attract nearly 27,000 visitors annually and allow the diplomatic communities to highlight the best of their home countries.

On May 20, Fiesta Asia! will welcome visitors to experience Asian tradition, dances and food in a street fair festival on Pennsylvania Avenue.