The most important festival in Central and South-Eastern Europe promoting the cultures and gastronomy of Asian countries, Asia Fest, now at its 10th edition, will take place from September 22 to 24 in the courtyard of the National Arena in Bucharest.
For the three days of the festival, the organisers have prepared for visitors shows, films, traditional food, workshops and exhibitions.
Performances by world-renowned Asian artists and the largest Asian food court in Romania are among the highlights of Asia Fest 2023.
According to the organisers, the festival represents the Bucharesters’ “passport” to the countries of a continent characterized by exoticism and traditions with a long history such as Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, India, Nepal, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, etc.
At this year’s edition too, Japan showcases its fascinating culture and offers tea ceremonies, calligraphy and manga drawing workshops, origami, traditional costumes and Kitsuke (the art of wearing a kimono) and an attractive cosplay competition.
Traditional Indian enthusiasts will enjoy lively Indian dance and music and will be able to participate in daily workshops on henna tattoos or rangoli art (different shapes and designs are created using materials such as powdered lime stone, rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, flower petals, stones, seeds etc).
A fascinating photo exhibition will be staged at Asia Fest by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Romania. On 30 easels there will be photos of unique Chinese landscapes.
Visitors will learn how to put on a hanbok (traditional dress) from the Koreans, who will also delight the audience with their lantern and fan painting workshops. The K-Pop music & dance competition will also be the focus of young Korean subculture enthusiasts.
Turkey offers workshops in calligraphy, ebru (water painting) and many other activities specific to its traditional and modern culture.
Children will also have fun at face painting workshops, colourful dreadlocks, terari workshops (handmade glass decorations with natural succulent or aerial plants). For the youngest visitors there will also be slime and textile design workshops supported by the Creative Arts Center.
Film lovers are not forgotten either, so each evening of the festival will end with a film screening that brings to life the lifestyle, traditions and culture of countries such as India, Japan and China.
An exceptional moment is the extraordinary J-Rock concert held in Romania by the famous Japanese artist MI Ishihara Takamasa, with the stage name MIYAVI.
On the first night of the festival, on Friday, the audience will be able to listen to the well-known Fang Shuang, a baritone of Chinese origin who has been living in Romania for over 16 years, being the vocal soloist of the Comic Opera for Children.
The Turkish-born artist Serkan, born in Istanbul but living in Romania for over 20 years, will perform on the Asia Fest stage on Saturday.
On Sunday, artists from the Romanian Opera and the George Enescu Philharmonic will perform an extraordinary show called “ASIA ON PORTABLE”, a musical and choreographic journey through several Asian cultures.
The last concert of the festival will be that of the artist Bhaskar Das, one of the young masters of Indian classical music on the bansuri (ancient flute from India and Nepal).
At Asia Fest, on an area of 500 square metres, there will be a traditional Asian food court, with dishes prepared and served on the spot, as well as an exhibition area with sales of culinary products (spices, herbs, oils, sauces, teas, syrups, sweets, semi-prepared products, etc.), clothing (clothes and accessories), as well as decorations and cosmetics.
During the three days of the festival there will also be a series of conferences and seminars, held by representatives of cultural centres, embassies and publishing houses in Romania, promoting countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, Turkey, India, Indonesia.
Cultural partners of the event are: Embassy of Thailand in Bucharest, Embassy of Japan in Bucharest, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bucharest, Embassy of India in Bucharest, Embassy of Indonesia in Bucharest, Bad Unicorn, Casa Romanian-Chinese, Center for Romanian-Japanese Studies “Angela Hondru”, Center for Romanian-Korean Studies, Haramitchi RO Association, Tenshin, Sarang Hanguk Cultural Association, Nan Kibun Cultural Association, Discover Korea, Indra Dance Academy, Eurasian Art Institute, Shanghai Wushu, Confucius Institute, Sweets Kendama, IZANAGI Japanese Film Festival, Namaste India.
AGERPRES National News Agency is among the media partners of the event.
