Top Chinese magicians have embarked on a performance tour in New Zealand to display the mystique of the traditional face-changing, levitation, and other Chinese intangible cultural heritages, for a spectacular visual feast.

The town hall was packed with audience to watch the debut show of the Chinese Magic New Zealand Tour on Friday evening in Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand's South Island.

"This is more than just a magic show. It's a journey into rich cultural traditions and history," said Liu Jia, executive director of Magic Moments NZ who organized the show tour in partnership with the China Acrobats Association.

Rachel McErlain, a member of the audience, said Friday's performance was fabulous, entertaining and fantastic.

For the first time to watch the Chinese magic, McErlain also thought it was very emotional, with the stage decoration carrying significant symbols.

"It was good that they translated some of it, but the performance was almost very physical, with lots of movement," McErlain said, adding she quite enjoyed the part of the Tianjin Clapper Talk. "The rhythm was amazing."