Lao Suo, a warmhearted man who lives in the backyard of a theater, and Er Ping, a drifting Peking Opera singer who recently joined the theatre, experience the emotional tour of repulsion, sympathy and intimacy. In the theatre, they present a real "dual comic show".

Performances like "The dual comic show in autumn" are common at the ongoing 7th Asia Art Festival in Foshan of Guangdong Province, south China.

"The most striking feature of this year's festival is that it is absolutely people-oriented and a feast meticulously designed for common people," said Shang Xuebing, the city's deputy publicity chief.

Shows and performances take place on the streets and squares; theatre is all about ordinary people's life stories.

"I never found myself so close to art and it's a wonderful experience," said Huang Yi, who came a thousand kilometers from Shanghai to enjoy the art gala in Foshan.

Izumi Machi, a leading performer of the Japanese traditional drama Kyogen, said, "We used to face a tall pine tree on the backdrop while we were playing. But over the years we have turned around and now we are facing the audience."

"All forms of traditional art are rooted in the people and only when they are performed from the common people's point of view can they acquire eternal vitality," he added.

He said Kyogen humorously showcases the stories of common people and is widely accepted and applauded in Japan. He hopes Chinese viewers will also fall in love with the art of laughter.

"Laughter is a universal language," said Ma Jianqing, a Foshan citizen, after watching the Kyogen show, "It's a vivid and lifelike performance that I can understand even though I don't speak any Japanese." Her Austrian husband also admitted it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to luxuriate in such diverse Asian culture.

"Art should be displayed in such a rudimentary, natural and heartfelt way," said Sun Aiguo, a music teacher at a local middle school, after a concert presented by Afghan, Pakistani and Mongolian art troupes.

During the week-long festival, a total of 22 art troupes from 21 Asian countries are scheduled to give performances. Five street pageants and nine outdoor performances are being organized with enthusiastic participation by local citizens and artists.

It's the first time that the Asia Art Festival is held in a prefecture-level city in China. "Our purpose is to make art more accessible and therefore to rekindle people's interest in traditional art forms," said Sun Jiazheng, China's minister of culture.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2005)