by Zhu Yingqi
CAIRO, Egypt, April 11 (Xinhua) -- "I want all the world to see my national dress and I want them to know more about Yemeni culture," Sarah Algha, a 26-year-old Yemeni lady wearing a stunning green Yemeni traditional dress, told Xinhua in the fourth International Nations Festival held in Egypt.
The festival kicked off on Thursday in the Pharaonic Village, a famous tourist resort located on the west bank of the Nile on Jacob's Island.
The event invited embassies and cultural institutions to hold cultural exhibitions, and provided a platform where Egyptians and international tourists can learn more about traditional cultures of different countries.
Altogether 18 countries shared their unique cultures through means like costumes, books, pictures, music and dance.
"I felt so happy that people love my country's costumes," Algha told Xinhua, saying that visitors are so amazed by her dress as she was busy taking photos with them.
Algha moved to Egypt two years ago and now lives with her families here since her country Yemen is swamped in years of chaos. She said she felt proud of promoting Yemen's culture and bringing traditional costumes to light.
The Pharaonic Village, which officially opened in 1977, has a story with China. It was built by Hassan Ragab, Egypt's first ambassador to China, and with the efforts of his three generations, the village has become Egypt's important tourist attraction.
The village recreates the social life scenes of ancient Egypt thousands of years ago, and attracts thousands of tourists around the world every year.
Jia Jie, a staff member of the Chinese Culture Center in Cairo, was responsible for the organization of the Chinese exhibition. He said that the display area has been decorated with red lanterns, Chinese knots and Chinese paintings, as well as Chinese traditional costumes, pictures, books, magazines and snacks for visitors.
"The red and yellow Chinese traditional costumes appeal to tourists most. They try the costumes, hold an oiled paper umbrella and take photos to memorize this moment," Jia said.
He added that an Egyptian dancing team from the Confucius Institute in Cairo was invited to showcase Chinese traditional dance at the performance show of the festival.
With joy and laughter, the audience shook their bodies with the rhythm of music, took selfies with each other, and enjoyed the event where various cultures lived in harmony.
"It is really good to explore other countries' art and culture, and to know more about other people and communities," Sujan Bidari from Nepal said.
