The Asia in Helsinki arts festival 2008 has been cancelled, as the Chinese Ministry of Culture has suddenly withdrawn its support for the Kun Opera group that was invited to the festival.
The annual Asia in Helsinki festival was supposed to take place in the Alexander Theatre in Helsinki in May.
The decision stranded the negotiations and preparations for the group’s visit, which had been continuing for one and a half years. Kun Opera, also called Kunqu, Kunju or Kunqu Opera, is the oldest extant form of Chinese opera, being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Asia in Helsinki festival has been arranged every spring since 1997. It is the only festival in Finland that is specialised in the forms of Asian music, dance, and theatre.
