Chinese Culture and Arts Festival: Movies, Tai Chi and Ice House band concert

The Chinese culture and art festival "On the Shores of Baikal" kicked off at INRTU on October 15. The event drew interest from Irkutsk students. The festival opened with film showings, Tai Chi training, and a concert by the Ice House band.

The program included the project called "Chinese Cinema on Campus", that is supported by the General Consulate of China in Irkutsk. The audience was greeted by diplomats and representatives of the regional government.

Vladimir Smirnov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at INRTU, outlined the significance of the event:

"Cooperation between the Russia and China has reached a high level. This is confirmed by the past years of cultural exchanges. 

We are gathering for our festival for the fourth time, which has become a noticeable phenomenon among Irkutsk residents those are interested in China. I wish you a good experience!"

Consul General of China in Irkutsk Liu Yu noted that 2026 marks a number of important milestones. These include the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Russian-Chinese relations and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation. In addition, the cross years of cooperation in the field of education between Russia and China have been launched. Ms. Liu Yu thanked INRTU for organizing the festival, calling cinema a vivid guide into the world of culture.

"Cinema, through the vivid imagery, emotions and life stories, reveals the historical heritage and the spirit of an era of the whole country. The festival presents outstanding films from China. They reflect love for the Motherland and tell about the stories of ordinary people. We hope that this will help the Russian youth to better understand the Chinese people and to strengthen friendship between our countries," the Consul General said.

According to Andrey Yuzhakov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Irkutsk Region, the leaders of Russia and China have called for strengthening good-neighborliness and cultural relations. The Angara region actively participates in this process, including through creative endeavors and the development of sister-city relations. Cinema is one of the ways to showcase rich culture. The festival program includes a cartoon about the poets of the Tang Dynasty called "Thirty Thousand Miles from Chang'an", which Andrey Yuzhakov watched earlier. He noted the deep historical message and aesthetics of this cartoon.

Alexey Kotelnikov, representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Irkutsk region, stressed that we are used to perceiving China through the news, but it is the cinema that opens the soul of the nation to the world. In his point of view, the film industry of China combines the historical epic, special effects and cutting-edge technologies:

"The festival will be an important lesson that behind the power of the Chinese economy there are also deep traditions, respect for the family, diligence and refined aesthetic taste.

I thank the organizers of this event for helping to make Irkutsk a center of attraction for different cultures."

The series of film showings started with the breakdance drama called “One and Only”. The lead role was played by the famous Chinese actor Wang Yibo. It is an inspiring story about a guy named Chen Shuo from a poor family, who works several jobs and trains to exhaustion at night for the sake of his goal. Once in a top team of street dancers, the hero faces intrigues and financial crises. However, despite the difficulties, the young man and his coach eventually get an opportunity to take a part at the main dance competition of the country.

The film impressed the future sinologist and a fan of Wang Yibo's work, Aurora Peidus. The student believes that the film inspires to achieve goals, reminds how important it is to be able to overcome your own fears, doubts and circumstances: "I used to dance, so I understand the character's feelings of rehearsals and his love for the stage. I believe that the main message of the film is that you should always believe in your dream and not give up."

Viewers will also see the films "Home Coming" (about diplomats) and "Manjianhong" (set during the Song Dynasty).

Moreover, on October 15, a Tai Chi training session was held in the INRTU gym – a martial art and popular health-improving gymnastics.

The first day of the festival ended with a concert by the Ice House band concert. The band was founded about 20 years ago in Yunnan province by the singer Da Bing. The band has several line-ups and tours in China, Europe and Asia, as well as Australia. The musicians have organized over 2800 concerts.

This time, Li Chen from the Zhengzhou branch of the project, an artist from Changsha Li Shiyuan and Bai Liang from Xi'an performed on the stage of the INRTU. With guitar and African drums, they sang songs about love, friendship and family. Many audience members came onto the stage and gathered in a circle, singing along with the singers.

The festival "On the Shores of Baikal" continued on October 16 with an arts fair and a concert featuring students of Irkutsk and Chinese universities.