Chinese culture is today's flavour in Australia's capital as New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) latest stage production brings entertainment to Western and Chinese audiences alike.
NTDTV's 2007 Chinese New Year Spectacular has brought a taste of China's rich ancient traditions to Canberra's vibrant arts scene and local residents can't get enough of it.
"I liked it very much, it was very colourful, and I really enjoyed the performances," said Rosario Sanmiguel, a Canberra resident who saw the show with her mother Rosa, who was visiting from Peru.
"We're from South America so we're not really familiar with Asian culture, apart from the food," Rosario said.
"You know the exchange of different cultural aspects through dance and music. I think that's very positive."
Max Lin, who identified himself as an Australian-Chinese from Singapore, agreed. He believes that shows like the Spectacular can bring "more understanding of what Chinese are all about - culture."
"It is definitely a good thing, opens the mind up a bit," he said. "That's what we need in Australia."
Chinese people have long had a presence in Canberra, going back to a small Chinese farming community in the 1950s. Today it is estimated that there are some 10,000 Chinese people living in Canberra, with Dickson's Woolley Street often considered to be Canberra's "Chinatown".
Although many of Canberra's Chinese residents are likely to speak English in an Australian accent, rather than their native language, many still express the wish for a deeper understanding of China and its cultural exchange by western society.
"It was very enjoyable, very colourful and graceful, and well paced," said Gordon Hing, a 20-year Canberra resident whose parents immigrated to Australia from Canton in China. "I'd like to see more of these kinds of things in Canberra."
When asked whether arts shows such as this one can further inter-cultural understanding in Australia, Gordon replied, "It can't hurt, [it can] give a bit of an insight, let people be a part of the culture."
Canberra resident Cathrina Wong said she thought shows like NTDTV's Spectacular show the progress Australia has made in inter-cultural understanding.
"I don't think there's been anything like this before, nothing this cultural," Cathrina said.
"I reckon it shows how much Australia has evolved. It's becoming more multicultural."
Cathrina's sister, Serena, said she was surprised to see so many Caucasians at a Chinese New Year event. "More of this should happen - shows like this," she said.
Dr Deb Foskey MLA, ACT Greens Member for Molonglo, commended the overseas Chinese for keeping the country's traditions alive, despite the havoc wreaked on them by the Chinese Communist Party.
"We don't get much Chinese performance [in Canberra]," Dr Foskey said. "It is very interesting that people in this American troupe are in a way keeping alive the tradition and cultural diversity that is probably being forgotten under the current regime."
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