Inspiring Youthful Energy, Letting Magic Bloom Through Innovation — The 7th "Golden Magic Ring · Summit" Shenzhen Youth Magic Exchange Comes to a Successful Close

Sina Shenzhen November 29, 18:46 Follow

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Boundless creativity is leading the young people of this era to scale the peak of "magic." The 7th "Golden Magic Ring · Summit" Shenzhen Youth Magic Exchange (hereafter the "Golden Magic Ring"), part of the 6th Shenzhen Magic Festival, has now completed its final judging at the Shenzhen Nanshan Culture and Sports Centre. It was hosted by the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Publicity Department of the CPC Shenzhen Nanshan District Committee, and organized by the Shenzhen Acrobats Association and the Shenzhen Nanshan District Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

This edition of the "Golden Magic Ring" comprised six events in all: two magic competitions, two magic lectures and the "Climb the Summit Together" performance by Shenzhen young magicians in Macao. The competition section opened on September 20, calling for entries from young magicians and magic enthusiasts aged 18 to 39 of any nationality or region. After successive rounds of selection by a panel of expert judges, 18 young magicians and their acts, from Guangzhou (Guangdong), Jinhua (Zhejiang), Nanning (Guangxi), Hong Kong, Shenzhen and elsewhere, reached the final judging and competed for the various awards on November 25 and 26; outstanding acts will be recommended for larger stages.

At the closing ceremony on the evening of November 27, during the performance of the acrobatic drama "Journey to the West · Wukong," the 15 awards of the two competition sections were announced one by one. "Dream Return," performed by Li Juncheng (Guangzhou, Guangdong), took first place in the stage magic section; "The Grapes Are Ripe" by Guzaliayi Abudukelimu (Urumqi, Xinjiang), "Original Hong Kong Flavour" by Zhong Lihao (Hong Kong, China) and "Hidden · Bond of the Dove" by Li Yijie (Xi'an, Shaanxi) took second place, third place and the "Newcomer Award" in the stage magic section respectively. "Grandma's Bell," performed by Zhou Yu (Shenzhen, Guangdong), took the crown in the close-up magic section, while "Adventures at the Magic Academy" by Xu Jialiang (Guangzhou, Guangdong), "Illusion Revision" by Lan Dong (Dongguan, Guangdong) and "Mr.D" by Dong Junjie (Tianjin) took second place, third place and the "Newcomer Award" in the close-up magic section respectively. In addition, seven acts received the competition's "Finalist Award," among them "The Magic Cube" by Deng Guanzhi (Hong Kong, China), "Same Frequency" by Gong Yuqi (Guangzhou, Guangdong), "Return of the Crane · Short Paper, Long Feelings" by Li Jingzu (Changsha, Hunan) and "Colour Variations" by Wu Dingbang (Hong Kong, China).

"Journey to the West · Wukong" takes "true growth" as its theme, telling how Sun Wukong, after more than a decade of study under a master, grasps the deeper truths and acquires supernatural powers, and then comes to understand that with greater ability comes greater responsibility. The production combines acrobatics, dance, drama, magic and puppetry, with nearly 20 kinds of high-difficulty acrobatics pushing the limits of the human body and of stage performance again and again, immersing the audience wholly in a romantic, fantastical mythical world and bringing this "Golden Magic Ring · Summit" to a magical and satisfying close.

This edition of the "Golden Magic Ring" also held two special lectures on November 25 and 26, with young magicians Li Xiaoyang and Wang Zhe invited to present "Classics and Change" and "The Dream Factory" respectively. They set out how the art of magic can carry on the classics, open up original thinking and innovate in routining, keeping pace with the times to create and present new changes on stage, helping young magicians and magic enthusiasts refine their skills and take their magic to a higher level.

The "Climb the Summit Together" performance by Shenzhen young magicians in Macao took place on October 24 at Matteo Ricci College in Macao. During the event, Jin Cui, Executive Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Nanshan District Committee, and Hu Yongxin, Vice-Principal of Matteo Ricci College, exchanged mementos, and Du Juan — Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Director of its Artists Associations Service Centre, and full-time Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Acrobats Association — presented the school with mementos of the 6th Shenzhen Magic Festival. The Nanshan District Acrobats Association brought together 15 magicians and crew members, including Lin Youen and He Jiayang, who presented 11 magic acts, joining young people in Macao to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, encouraging cultural exchange between the two cities and contributing to the building of a humanistic Greater Bay Area.

As a city of innovation and creativity, Shenzhen has long discovered and nurtured countless talents in culture and the arts, and has supported and encouraged the creation of a large body of outstanding works that have repeatedly won awards in competitions at home and abroad. As a key cultural brand event of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, the Shenzhen Magic Festival has consistently worked to build a stage for young people and foster their artistic growth; over six editions it has greatly enriched the cultural life of the city's residents and yielded abundant artistic results.

As the principal organizers of the "Golden Magic Ring," the flagship sub-programme of the 6th Shenzhen Magic Festival, the Publicity Department of the CPC Nanshan District Committee and the Nanshan District Federation of Literary and Art Circles upheld an innovative concept combining performance, competition, judging and lecturing, and once again raised the quality of this edition. It gathered young magic talent from across the country so that they could sharpen their skills in creation, show their strength in competition, broaden their horizons in exchange and grow through practice, and in future take their place among the "new force" of magic in Shenzhen, the Greater Bay Area, the country and the world — driving the flourishing of magic as a culture and an art in Shenzhen and highlighting the city's distinctive character and international bearing.

(Reviewed by Chen Yiran)

(Edited by Jin Ruijie)