April 20, 2024 is the 14th World Circus Day, and Guangzhou Chimelong International Circus and Zhuhai Hengqin Chimelong Theater respectively held World Circus Day commemorations. During the event, Urs Pilz, President of the World Circus Federation, announced the establishment of the first regional branch of the World Circus Federation, the Asian Branch, and presented a plaque to Su Zhigang, Chairman of Chimelong Group, the first president of the chapter.
Su Zhigang (second from right), Chairman of Chimelong Group, is the Chairman of the Asian Branch of the World Circus Federation
Founded in 2009, the World Circus Federation is the only worldwide circus organization made up of professional circus associations from Europe, Canada, Australia, South Africa, the United States and the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. Founded in 1974 by the late Prince Rainier III, the late head of state of Monaco, the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, is one of the top international circus events.
The World Circus Federation is committed to promoting international circus exchanges and cooperation, as well as the global development of circus arts, and through cooperation with UNESCO and other institutions, promoting the inclusion of circus in the intangible cultural heritage of all countries and ensuring the protection and inheritance of traditional circus culture. In addition, the World Circus Federation also pays attention to the sustainable development of the circus industry, focusing on the protection of the rights and interests of circus performers, the popularization of circus art and culture education, etc., laying a solid foundation for the future development of circus art.
As the first chairman of the Asian branch of the World Circus Federation, Su Zhigang, chairman of Chimelong Group, has been focusing on the cultural tourism industry for 35 years, and has always paid attention to the development of circus culture, and has been awarded the honorary title of "2016 Circus Art Ambassador" by the World Circus Federation, which is the highest individual award for outstanding contributions to the development of world circus culture. Under the leadership of Su Zhigang, the Chimelong International Circus, founded in 2000, is now more and more vigorous, with more than 10,000 circus performances and nearly 50 million attendance, known as the "never-ending circus feast". At the beginning of the creation and rehearsal of Chimelong International Circus, in order to make the world circus culture fit the aesthetics of Chinese audiences and provide the best viewing experience, Su Zhigang personally experienced the perception from different perspectives in the audience, led the team to create, carefully scrutinize, and carefully polish, and checked the venue upgrade, repertoire research and development, scientific and technological innovation and other links, and continuously improved the level of circus art performances. After 24 years of unremitting efforts, Chimelong Circus has become one of the most influential circus performances in Asia and even the world, and has become a dazzling cultural business card of Guangzhou and even China.
Chimelong Circus has become a dazzling cultural business card of Guangzhou and even China
Su Zhigang actively builds a platform for world circus cultural exchange to promote exchanges and mutual learning of circus arts from all over the world. With the strong support of relevant government departments, the China International Circus Festival was successfully promoted to land in Chimelong, Zhuhai. Since 2013, Chimelong has successfully hosted 7 China International Circus Festivals, which have been highly recognized by the world circus industry and have had a profound impact on world circus culture.
Chimelong has successfully hosted 7 China International Circus Festivals
Su Zhigang said: "First of all, I would like to thank the country, the reform and opening up, and the new era. It is a great honor to be the first President of the Asian Branch of the World Circus Federation, and to contribute to the development of circus art in Asia, especially in China. Chimelong Group will continue to increase investment in circus talent training, circus repertoire creativity, scientific and technological research and development, etc., to build a first-class circus academy, so that circus teams from all over the world can cooperate and exchange in Chimelong, and make Chimelong an exchange platform for international circus culture and art. It is hoped that in the future, with the help of the platform of the Asian Branch of the World Circus Federation, Chimelong will give full play to its geographical advantages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, and connected to Southeast Asia, strengthen in-depth exchanges and cooperation in the circus industry of Asian countries, do a good job in the integration and development of traditional Chinese circus culture and world circus culture, jointly promote the prosperity and development of circus art, further expand the international influence of Asian circus art, and show the unique charm of circus art to the world!"
Urs Pilz, Co-President of World Circus, congratulated Su Zhigang on his appointment as the first President of the World Circus Federation Asia Branch, and fully affirmed Su Zhigang's contribution to the cultural exchange and development of the World Circus Culture. "Asian circus culture has a long history, and each country has a long circus tradition and unique artistic styles," he said. In the future, the World Circus Federation will give all-round support and assistance to the Asian branch and Chimelong in many aspects, such as Asian circus cultural exchanges, China International Circus Festival, Chimelong Circus Academy, Chimelong Circus Museum, etc., to promote the rapid development of circus culture and art in Asia and the world. ”
Su Zhigang's appointment as the first President of the Asian Branch of the World Circus Federation is not only an affirmation of his personal contributions, but also a high recognition of the development of Chimelong Circus and the Chinese circus industry. At present, Chimelong Group has been introducing the world circus for 24 years, and has always maintained a positive attitude of continuous optimization and improvement in terms of scientific and technological innovation, repertoire planning, venue layout and stage effects, etc., expanding more space and possibilities for circus art innovation. In 2023, Chimelong Theatre will launch a new masterpiece "Chimelong Show" in Hengqin, Zhuhai, whose script is carefully carved by the world's top team, created by circus masters, and directed by the heirs of circus families, bringing together acrobatics, dance, burlesque, magic, extreme sports and many other artistic categories, drawing on the essence of multinational cultures, combined with the upgraded venue is the icing on the cake, presenting the audience with the world's top circus art feast. In the future, under the leadership of Su Zhigang, the Asian branch of the World Circus Federation will work together with circus groups from all over the world to make the charm of circus benefit a wider audience and jointly promote the prosperity of circus art in the world.
Text: Panyu financial media reporter Chen Xiao correspondent Deng Yongyi
Photo: Courtesy of Chimelong Group