The year 2024 marks both the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy and the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's passing. The opera "Marco Polo" was revived in Guangzhou on May 4th. What do the consuls and business elites from different countries think about it? Julie, an international student from the Solomon Islands, asked the opinions of her friends from Russia, the United States, Italy, Pakistan, and Belgium.

Alessandro, a member of the board of directors of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce who is familiar with Marco Polo's exploits, expressed his delight at seeing Marco Polo's story presented as an opera. "I hope such events can bring China and Italy, as well as China and Europe, closer together. I firmly believe that cultural exchanges can enhance mutual understanding, and I would love to participate in more activities like this," he said.

The opera was performed in Chinese with Italian and English subtitles displayed on large screens. Alexandr Chernousov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Guangzhou, who has worked in China for many years, commented, "I look forward to enjoying the performance in its original Mandarin, as I have spent a long time learning the language and I consider myself quite proficient."

During the performances, an exhibition of Marco Polo-related intangible cultural heritage items was held in the lobby of the Guangzhou Opera House. Notably, the Chinese porcelain represented by Kwon-glazed porcelain has witnessed the historical East-West cultural exchange. The Cultural Consul of Consulate General of the United States in Guangzhou, Wang Guolin, remarked, "The first American to come to China was Samuel Shaw, who arrived in Guangzhou in 1784 on a merchant ship funded by the founding fathers of the United States. They traded various American goods and Chinese porcelains, some of which were used by George Washington as dinnerware and are still in his house today. So, this connection also has a long history for us."

"Marco Polo" first premiered in Guangzhou in 2018 and then performed internationally in Italy and other locations in 2019, receiving accolades from professional media in the UK, USA, and Italy. Wim PEETERS, Consul General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Guangzhou, saw the revival as a masterstroke: "This is a great story about the West meeting the East, Europe encountering China. It’s a fascinating tale and particularly suited for Guangzhou, which has always been a major gateway for Europeans entering China."

Sardar Muhammad, the acting Consul General of Pakistan in Guangzhou, expressed hope for a partnership between theaters in Guangzhou and Lahore, Pakistan. He said, "Pakistan is a country vibrant with culture, with theaters frequently hosting live performances like this one today. I would be thrilled to establish connections between theaters in Lahore, a cultural city, and those in Guangzhou and beyond in China."

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

在广州遇“鉴”歌剧《马可·波罗》，五国友人这样说……

今年是中国与意大利建立全面战略伙伴关系20周年，也是马可·波罗逝世700周年。《马可·波罗》歌剧5月4日在广州复演，多国领事和商界精英怎么看？来自所罗门群岛的留学生茱莉和俄罗斯、美国、意大利、巴基斯坦、比利时友人聊了聊！

作为熟知马可·波罗事迹的意大利人，中国意大利商会董事会成员亚历山多表示，中意两国在历史、传统文化和艺术上有很多互动交流，他非常开心看到马可·波罗故事能以歌剧形式展现。“我希望这种活动能够让中意关系、中欧关系更加紧密。我坚信文化交流活动能够增进彼此之间的了解，如果有机会，我希望参加更多类似的活动。”

本次歌剧为中文演绎，大屏幕滚动播放意大利语及英语字幕。对此，在中国工作多年的俄罗斯驻广州总领事切尔诺乌索夫·亚历山大表示，会尽情享受中文原声的演出：“因为我学中文很久了，我认为我的中文很不错。”

演出期间，马可·波罗非遗作品展览在广州大剧院前厅同步举办。其中，以广彩为代表的中国瓷器，见证了中西文化交流的历史。美国驻广州总领事馆文化领事王国霖提到：“第一位从美国来中国的人是塞缪尔·肖，他于1784年乘坐一艘由美国国父们资助的商船来到广州，当时是在黄埔港上岸。他们交易了各种美国商品，以及中国的瓷器。其中有些瓷器被美国第一任总统乔治·华盛顿用作餐具，至今这些餐具还在他家。所以这对我们来说也是一个源远流长的联结。”

2018年，歌剧《马可·波罗》在广州首演，2019年赴意大利等地演出，获得了英、美、意等国专业媒体的好评。本次回归广州复演，在比利时驻广州总领事裴伟岷看来，是一次匠心之举：“这是一个伟大的故事，这个故事讲述了西方遇见东方，欧洲遇见中国。这个故事非常有趣，也非常适合在广州上演。因为广州一直是欧洲人来到中国的重要的入口。”

巴基斯坦伊斯兰共和国驻广州总领事馆代总领事萨达尔·穆罕默德表示，期待广州能和巴基斯坦拉合尔两地大剧院“牵手”：“巴基斯坦是一个充满文化活力的国家，我们有文化剧院，经常上演像今天这样的现场表演。如果我们能在拉合尔这个文化城市的剧院和广州、和中国的剧院之间建立联系，我会很高兴。”

统筹｜赵鹏
出镜｜茱莉Julie
拍摄｜温泽广 刘畅
剪辑｜黎杰文 温泽广
记者｜古司祺 曾潇 莫谨榕 孙绮曼 严锦程
翻译｜赵凡
实习生｜刘泳希 杨泽楷
鸣谢｜广东外语外贸大学留学生院