The opening gala of the 14th Lancang-Mekong Countries Culture and Art Festival unfolded on October 28 at Manting Royal Garden Theatre in Jinghong, according to a Xinhua report. Artists from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam presented an array of song, dance and instrumental performances that immersed audiences in the region’s cultural tapestry. Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan province hosted the event, which drew regional officials and guests including representatives from Bangladesh and Malaysia. The gathering underscored the role of art in connecting communities that share the Lancang-Mekong waterway.
A Xinhua dispatch detailed how the evening followed the theme of sharing one river and being one family while organizing content into four segments that explored common origins, friendship as a bridge, harmonious integration and a joint future. Performances featured China’s “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon,” Cambodia’s Kailash Mountain Dance wishing for peace, Myanmar’s Mingalaba conveying blessings, Laotian paired singing and dances depicting local customs, Thailand’s royal attire exhibition dance and Vietnam’s River Return evoking waterside life. Additional Chinese pieces included a festival ode, a magic-music comedy show and the symphony “Picturesque Landscape” that elevated the atmosphere.
All participating artists from the six countries joined for the closing number “Fly Together” to convey aspirations for collective progress, China News Service reported. The festival began in 1992 as a border-region cultural event among the six nations and received its current name in 2011, developing over more than three decades into a platform for cultural display and mutual learning. Xishuangbanna’s location bordering Laos and Myanmar positions it as a natural venue given its position on the river that flows 4,880 kilometers from the Tibetan Plateau through the six countries.
Side activities continuing until November 1 encompass the Lancang-Mekong Treasures Carnival that features more than 100 booths along a 1.2-kilometer stretch of the riverbank divided into sections for tea, crafts, fruits and other goods, a Xinhua Silk Road announcement stated. The “One Great River” Xishuangbanna international photography exhibition and tea-music harmony sessions will also take place to advance tourism cooperation and people-to-people contacts. These events build on the main gala by blending commerce, intangible cultural heritage demonstrations and performances from across the basin.
A Thai music expert who attended told Chinese media that the festival tightly connects the cultures of Lancang-Mekong countries so that audiences can sense their own cultural confidence in the shows. He expressed hope that younger art practitioners would carry forward these traditions. The river basin has nurtured shared cultural markers such as water-splashing festivals and palm-leaf scriptures, according to festival background materials that trace centuries of interaction among the riparian states.
The event aligns with broader efforts under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework to foster exchanges in culture, tourism and trade among the participating countries. Organizers have presented the festival as a longstanding bridge that transcends language barriers while supporting grassroots ties and economic links throughout the region.
