On Sept 13, a foreign student from Sri Lanka named An Xile expressed his admiration for the musical Nan Kong after watching it at the China National Opera House in Beijing.

"It's a perfect combination of tradition and modernity, and is very successful. I particularly like it," said An.

The music drama Nan Kong tells the story of Kong Zhu, the 53rd direct descendant of Confucius, and the continuation of Confucian culture by the Kong clan in the south.

An is a doctoral student at the National Research Center for Foreign Language Education of Beijing Foreign Studies University. He previously visited Quzhou as part of a tour group and was impressed by the Temple of Southern Confucianism and Shuiting Gate.

When he saw the artistic representation of Quzhou's street culture on stage in Beijing, he was reminded of his wonderful time in Quzhou. "I've seen that sesame cake at Shuiting Gate," An excitedly said after watching the play.

In his review of Nan Kong, An said, "For me, Nan Kong is not just a musical, but also an exploration of Chinese history and culture. In this play, I can appreciate the richness of Chinese culture and feel the spirit of great ambition from the descendants of the sage."

"Although this play tells an ancient story, it doesn't use too many ancient words. Instead, it uses modern and concise expressions to convey the meaning to us, allowing us to better understand the plot. It's quite accessible even for us foreign students," An wrote.

An also expressed his desire to visit Quzhou again.

An Xile is interviewed after watching the musical Nan Kong. [Photo/qz123.com]