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AlUla Royal Commission Signs Strategic Partnership with China's Henan Province

AlUla Governorate and Henan Province are working towards protecting cultural heritage - SPA
AlUla Governorate and Henan Province are working towards protecting cultural heritage - SPA
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AlUla Royal Commission Signs Strategic Partnership with China's Henan Province

AlUla Governorate and Henan Province are working towards protecting cultural heritage - SPA
AlUla Governorate and Henan Province are working towards protecting cultural heritage - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) signed a strategic partnership with the Cultural Heritage Administration of Henan Province, aimed at preserving heritage.
The signing comes in line with the RCU's goals to enhance the global partnership network within the framework of the Saudi-Chinese partnership.
The partnership includes enhancing knowledge and shared resources with a focus on archaeology, preserving cultural heritage and museums, research collaboration, talent development, tourism, and other cultural exchanges.
The partnership includes establishing a technology-driven archaeological laboratory, conducting excavation activities, engaging in research, and fostering connections between heritage sites in AlUla and Henan.
Additionally, it involves implementing collaborative exchange programs, participating in exhibitions and events, and utilizing museum technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.
AlUla has joined as a founding member of the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities, within the framework of supporting cultural cooperation and connectivity between Saudi Arabia and China.
The alliance aims to lay the foundations for long-term fruitful cooperation and knowledge exchange among cities of significant tourism, historical, and cultural importance within and beyond China.
With its membership among the 58 founding cities from 26 countries across different continents, AlUla will participate in international forums, delegations, and events to enhance tourism and sustainable development in the northwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula and among the alliance's member cities, SPA reported.
AlUla Governorate and Henan Province are working towards protecting cultural heritage, given their rich history as crossroads of civilizations. AlUla has been home to successive civilizations for over 200,000 years, while Henan is the third-largest province in China with a population of 100 million and houses five out of six archaeological projects on the origins of Chinese civilization.
Both AlUla and Henan are home to UNESCO World Heritage sites with a shared history spanning over 1,400 years along the ancient incense and Silk Roads, representing a common heritage as capitals of ancient empires.
The agreement coincides with the exhibition "AlUla, Wonder of Arabia," currently held at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, until April 11. This exhibition has attracted over 250,000 visitors. It features several sections, exhibits, archaeological pieces, and heritage items from historical sites in AlUla.
The partnership comes along with programs and initiatives aligned with AlUla Vision in harmony with Saudi Vision 2030.

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Chinese Lion Dance Troupe Shrugs off Patriarchal Past 

This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows members of a lion dance troupe playing drums and percussions during a lion dance practice session in Shantou, in southern China's Guangdong province. (AFP)
This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows members of a lion dance troupe playing drums and percussions during a lion dance practice session in Shantou, in southern China's Guangdong province. (AFP)
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Chinese Lion Dance Troupe Shrugs off Patriarchal Past 

This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows members of a lion dance troupe playing drums and percussions during a lion dance practice session in Shantou, in southern China's Guangdong province. (AFP)
This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows members of a lion dance troupe playing drums and percussions during a lion dance practice session in Shantou, in southern China's Guangdong province. (AFP)

Flinging her male teammate into the air, performer Lin Xinmeng practices China's world-famous lion dance with a troupe that is shrugging off centuries of patriarchal norms.

Mixing acrobatics, martial arts and theater, lion dancing is believed to bring prosperity and protection from evil spirits.

Performed across China and around the world, at weddings or during business openings, it is a mainstay of Lunar New Year celebrations, which begin on Wednesday.

"I discovered this dance one day by chance in the street. I found it super graceful," Lin, 18, told AFP in a courtyard in the southern Chinese city of Shantou, where her troupe trains.

"The tenacity of the dancers, their ability to perform these movements, impressed me. I wanted to become like them," she said.

Inside a costume consisting of a large, colorful lion head and a long, silky piece of fabric representing the body, dancers must work in tandem to bring the animal to life.

It can be tough on dancers' bodies, with one performer often required to lift the other by the waist to simulate the beast jumping on its hind legs.

That physical exertion, coupled with deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes, has long resulted in women being excluded from the tradition.

But Lin Likun -- the troupe's 31-year-old coach -- said the presence of women made the lion dancing show more "enjoyable" and means more people can pass on "this intangible heritage".

"We are constantly looking for ways to innovate, to breathe new vitality into lion dance," he said.

"It also allows us to reflect women's aspirations," he added, even if some give up along the way because of the physical demands.

- Rejecting patriarchy -

The troupe, called Lingdong, counts about 80 members aged between 13 to 33, most of them school students.

Around 20 of them are women.

While the presence of young women in the troupe elicits "mostly positive" feedback, Lin acknowledges that there has been some "mockery" and "negative reactions".

"Some old-timers think that women should stay at home and do housework. But our generation has a different view," he said.

"We believe in equality between men and women."

A growing number of Chinese women are rejecting the rigidity of traditional obligations imposed by their parents, who expect them to marry and have children young.

The cultural shift has been accompanied by the stardom of tennis player Zheng Qinwen, a champion at last year's Paris Olympics, and the critical success of the Chinese film "Her Story", which addresses gender inequality in contemporary society.

"Some say that a girl can't lead a lion. But it's my passion and it's up to me alone to take it on," said performer Lin Xinmeng.

"I want to surpass myself, to show that girls are not necessarily less good than boys," she explained.

- 'Masculine strength, feminine grace' -

Lin goes jogging, squats and weight trains to prepare herself for the most physically demanding parts of the dance.

She sees the participation of women and girls as a way "to combine masculine strength and feminine grace".

Another girl in the troupe, Dong Zidan, has 45,000 followers on the social network Douyin, China's version of TikTok, where she regularly shares content about lion dancing.

"I hope to encourage more girls to participate in our customs and pass on this intangible heritage," she said.

Coach Lin's next project is to have as many girls as boys in his team.

He will then try to create an all-women troupe -- a distant goal given the challenges that persist.

"The facts will prove that girls can assert themselves just as much as men," he insisted.

"Whether in lion dancing or in daily life."