Feature: Kenyan acrobat's lasting bond with China

SHIJIAZHUANG, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita was thrilled when he found out he would be traveling to China for a second time, having trained in acrobatics in the country over four decades ago.

The 53-year-old, along with 22 other acrobatics students from Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Eritrea, is participating in a two-month program in north China's Wuqiao County, known as the cradle of Chinese acrobatics. The program, which is sponsored by the Chinese government, began in late July.

"I missed China so much for four decades, and I am very excited to secure this second chance to study acrobatics in Wuqiao County," Kavita said in a recent interview with Xinhua at the Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School in Hebei Province.

In 1983, Kavita and 23 other Kenyan students arrived at the home base of the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe of China in south China's Guangdong Province to study acrobatics for two years, sponsored by the Chinese government.

Kavita then returned to Kenya and worked in acrobatics, establishing a workshop in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, in the mid-1990s. The workshop still operates today, having trained over 1,000 people to date.

Though Kavita first visited China as a student, he has returned to assist the Chinese instructors who are teaching acrobatics to African students of the program.

As Kavita can speak Chinese, he helps the students better understand and master key learning points from the Chinese instructors.

Back in Kenya, many children have been inspired by Kavita and have spent years learning acrobatics from him. When he has the opportunity to perform, he often takes these children along for his shows, allowing them to earn an income as well.

Eric Kimuyu, 26, began learning acrobatics from Kavita about 10 years ago. "Acrobatics has brought me discipline and more friends. Practicing with friends and gaining ideas from them might help me in the future," Kimuyu said at the Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School.

"I believe that the skills I'm learning here will help me gain opportunities in the future to perform on the global stage," said Judah Patrick, another of Kavita's students, after excitedly demonstrating his newly acquired skills.

"In Africa, we generally only train for physical balance, but after training in China, I've gained more ideas and experience. I'm thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to come to China," Patrick said.

Wuqiao acrobatics can be traced back some 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.). In 2006, it was listed as a form of intangible cultural heritage at the state level.

Kavita and many young Africans continue to pass on Chinese acrobatics skills in Africa, and they have become grassroots ambassadors for cultural exchange between China and Africa.

Speaking of his bond with China, Kavita became visibly emotional. He said he hoped this bond of friendship will be passed on to the next generation, and that the acrobatics program will continue as it has made changes in his country.

"I benefited tremendously from China's opening-up and modernization from an early age," Kavita said, noting that he is keeping a close eye on the upcoming 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and hopes it will yield more fruitful results.