The annual Cape Town Carnival 2026 kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening, with Chinese cultural elements emerging as a highlight of the festivities.

CAPE TOWN, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Cape Town Carnival 2026 kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening, with Chinese cultural elements emerging as a highlight of the festivities.

Under the theme "Follow Your heART," this year's carnival brought together more than 1,500 performers from communities across the city. The parade celebrated diversity, creativity and cultural understanding through massive floats, colorful costumes and vibrant performances, drawing tens of thousands of local and international spectators.

Among the participants, the Chinese performing group stood out as the biggest star of the evening. Their repertoire -- including Chinese opera, traditional dance, dragon and panda performances -- consistently drew applause and cheers from the crowd along the parade route.

According to Dong Gang, head of the Chinese performing group, this marked the eighth time the Chinese community had participated in the carnival. This year's delegation featured two floats, four performance formations and more than 150 performers ranging in age from four to over 70, making it the largest lineup at the event.

"This year, the Chinese team's performance is a combination of tradition and modernity. It not only showcases traditional intangible cultural heritage, such as dragon and lion dances, but also incorporates modern technology, especially advanced humanoid robots, which together with our traditional performances bring new highlights to the audience," Dong told Xinhua.

"Coinciding with the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, we believe the participation of the Chinese community will help strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Africa. In particular, presenting our traditional culture within South Africa's mainstream cultural life will leave a vivid and lasting impression," he added.

Dong's remarks were echoed by Ren Faqiang, China's Consul General in Cape Town. "Against the backdrop of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the Chinese contingent at this year's Cape Town Carnival is the largest, most colorful, most numerous and most spectacular in terms of performances in history. I believe it will definitely showcase the charm of Chinese culture," he said.

Ren noted that the Chinese performing team included not only overseas Chinese and students, but also local South Africans. This, he said, demonstrates that despite the geographical distance between China and South Africa, the peoples of the two countries are closely connected, and cultural exchange serves as an important bridge.

Guo Jingkai, a 30-year-old overseas Chinese resident in Cape Town, participated in the carnival parade for the fifth time this year as a member of the lion dance team. He said taking part in such events helps strengthen cohesion among Chinese people living abroad.

"The carnival is a cultural window, featuring a wide variety of cultures and styles. Through cultural exchange, it allows Chinese people to experience local culture while also enabling others to experience Chinese culture," Guo said.

For Erick Strydom, a South African teacher who joined the Chinese formation, this was his first time participating in the parade as a performer. He described the experience as deeply exciting.

"To me, it's an honor to be here and to represent China," he told Xinhua. "What I've noticed is just how my culture aligns with the Chinese culture. We have the same work ethic. We have amazing similarities in our cultures. I think that's something we can celebrate, especially in Africa."

"When we look in Africa and the change that China has also brought, we see that there's a lot of help that we've been receiving from China and we know it. And it's time to celebrate each other's cultures and stand together and be stronger together," Strydom added.

Hazel Mhishi, a local visitor attending the parade with her children, spoke highly of the Chinese performances, calling them "amazing."

"They did a great job and we really enjoyed the interaction that they did with us and with the kids," Mhishi said. "We love to know more about the culture, so that we can understand what they're presenting more."

"It shows more diversity in the culture that we're in, for me as a foreigner as well. It shows more diversity, more intercultural exchange that is happening in South Africa, which is a great thing, and more involvement in all the cultures," she added.