JINJIANG, People’s Republic of China – It’s not every Tuesday morning that you can walk into the Wudianshi Traditional Block in Jinjiang and witness a full-fledged performance of the characteristic Fujian opera known as Gaojia or ‘Ko-Kah’. But this was not a usual morning.
The team from Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (UKR) discover the traditional Wudianshi Blocks
Andrés Marmolejo Barranco from University of MálagaBusloads of athletes from all over the world arrived in this traditional shopping and cultural block on the morning of 26 November, and soon the solid stone lanes and dainty pagodas were dotted with colourful jerseys and curious shoppers.
With the group stages of the FISU University World Cup – Football done and dusted, the participating men’s teams got a chance to soak in some local flavour as the Organising Committee organised a ‘cultural tour’ in this ancient yet modern shopping district. There were shops with knick-knacks, old temples, traditional medicine pharmacies and a beautiful central koi pond to complete the picture.
“It is very interesting for us,” said Andrés Marmolejo Barranco of the University of Málaga, Spain as he admired the surroundings. “This is a really nice city, it’s very beautiful. We have already gone out in the city a couple of times, but we didn’t see anything like this. This is something different, something we really wanted to see.”
Šlmun Caktaš of the University of Split, Croatia, agreed wholeheartedly as his team watched the opera performance, quite spellbound.
“We are walking around, looking at the sights and really enjoying our time,” he said. “It’s so beautiful and ancient and we really wanted to see something like this. We so glad that they organised this tour because right now we have some free time and this is the best way to use it.”
Taking in the traditional architecture and old arts and crafts, he added “We can see the culture of China and how people used to live here in the past. Great idea!”
Team from the University of Split, Croatia, with Šlmun Caktaš (centre)
The traditional Gaojia Opera, typical of the Fujian provinceThe Ukrainian team from Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University were also seen enjoying the opera. The Gaojia opera is famous for its various characters and has been practiced since the time of the Ming Dynasty. Originally part of a religious parade, it has now transformed into a musical drama through which simple stories are told.
While it was an interesting morning, the teams know they have to get back to business soon. Some of them will be playing the quarterfinals tomorrow, while others will play matches for the final standings.
“We’ve got this morning off, but this afternoon we go back to training because we want to prepare for the match on Wednesday,” Andrés Barranco said. His team from Málaga have entered the last eight undefeated in the group stages and fancy their chances for the title.
The men’s quarterfinals take place on 27 November and the women’s semi-finals on 28 November. The title matches will be held on 1 December and 30 November respectively.
Photos: Xiaohan Huo
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