If there's one beautiful and delicate creature in the history of Russian art that eclipses all the others, it must be the love-stricken Odette from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. But on Tuesday night, it was a Chinese swan, Wu Zhengdan, that melted the hearts of the Russian people.
The swan alights on points, and rests on the arm of her prince. The audience is mesmerized. Among them were China's President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin.
The show, held inside the Kremlin Palace, marked the beginning of the "Year of China in Russia". Over 300 events are to follow, the majority of which are culture-related.
And to give a tantalizing glimpse of what's to follow, the Chinese have brought their best. The programmes, while showcasing classical Chinese arts such as Peking Opera, erhu performance and acrobatics, also seek to emphasize the common ground between the two countries' rich cultural traditions.
It is expected that the cooperation between Russia and China will be as close and fruitful as the one that has already been accomplished by their artists on stage.
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