A Continent United at Festival Asia

2015-05-19  Source: China.org.cn

The United Kingdom's biggest ever indoor pan-Asian festival opened to the public at Tobacco Dock in London on the weekend of May 15, for three days of festivities from countries across Asia, including artists and performers from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Korea.

The United Kingdom's biggest ever indoor pan-Asian festival opens to the public at Tobacco Dock in London on the weekend of May 15.

In its three days of being open, FestivalAsia included colorful Guan Yin Double Lion Dance performances,-- which came all the way from China-belly dancing from Fleur Estelle dance school, and INA Indonesian dance troop. Music that was soothing and melodic from the likes of Japanese Enka singer Akari Mochizuki, sitar player Jonathan Mayer, and the much anticipated, award winning violinist and erhu player, Amy Yuan.

The whole event was the brainchild of Li Li, China-born and UK-based opera singer, business lady, and event organizer. Li worked with World Concert Arts and Barley Arts International to bring the UK what she saw was missing -- an event that brought together the beauty of Asia under one roof.

"When I had this idea a year ago," Li said, "I realized such a festival doesn't exist, a festival of culture, food, costume and performance."

A year in the making, and after a lot of work from Li who handpicked the performers herself, the event made its mark on the London culture scene with upwards of 15,000 people attending the event.

Asked whether FestivalAsia would be a yearly fixture in the cultural calendar, Li revealed that it will be much more than that: "We want to make FestivalAsia into a super brand that won't only happen in London, but also in Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as potential cities in Europe," she said.