"These musicians, who perform in China in this new version, have played in our previous versions of the opera. It's wonderful to see this team interpreting this opera again, telling the story in a fresh and innovative way," she says.

Besides the opera, the Cape Town Opera Chorus staged a concert in Beijing on Oct 10. The outdoor concert took place in a special venue inside the Temple of Heaven — the Divine Music Administration. First built in 1420, it is one of the five major structures at the Temple of Heaven, an imperial sacrificial altar and was the highest ritual music academy for training and practicing imperial sacrificial music.

Under the baton of Portuguese-born conductor and pianist Jose Dias, the chorus performed both classic South African songs and newly composed music pieces.

"It's quite an exciting experience for the singers to perform at the venue," says Minnaar. "We have such a rich heritage of singing in South Africa, which is filled with different music traditions. We have 12 official languages, celebrating different cultures."

Further enriching this cultural exchange, the Beijing Music Festival also presents an exhibition focusing on contemporary African photography. The exhibition, featuring works of several African photographers, offered Chinese audiences an intimate look into the diverse landscapes, cultures, and people of Africa, highlighting the growing relationship between China and Africa through the lens of artistic expression, according to Zou.

Contact the writer at [email protected]