The China-Kazakhstan Year of Cultural Exchange kicked off on Tuesday with a grand opening ceremony at the China National Opera House in Beijing. The event was attended by Sun Yeli, China’s minister of culture and tourism, and Aida Balayeva, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and minister of culture and information, as well as diplomats from various embassies in Beijing.

The opening gala featured captivating performances by renowned groups, including the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Orchestra of Folk Instruments, the Astana Opera and Ballet Theater, and the Chinese Orchestra of the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. Award-winning artists from both countries also took the stage, such as Kazakhstani singers Alisher Karimov and Rukhiya Baidukenova, and Chinese singer Tan Weiwei.

A packed theater enjoyed a diverse array of performances, including instrumental ensembles, folk and pop music, dance, and fashion shows.

For example, Karimov wowed the audience with his rendition in Mandarin of Clouds of My Hometown, a well-known song by Chinese-American singer-actor Kris Phillips from the late 1980s.

“I discovered this song online. After a lengthy search and sifting through more than a thousand tracks, I ultimately chose this one because it truly resonated with me,” Karimov told reporters in an interview before the gala.

“I took several lessons to learn the lyrics from a young Kazakh woman fluent in Chinese to make sure that I pronounce every single word correctly,” he added.