Meiling Piaose Troupe of the county-level city of Wuchuan in Zhanjiang was listed among the first group of Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Bases by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Feb 28.

The addition makes the troupe the only one in western Guangdong to feature on the list.

Of the 27 members on the list, seven hail from Guangdong province. These are Qinghuiyuan Museum in Foshan, Yaoming academy of classical learning in Shantou, Jiangmen Museum in Jiangmen, Guangdong Overseas Chinese Hometown Culture Research Center at Wuyi University in Jiangmen, Meiling Piaose Troupe in Wuchuan, Songkou village in Meizhou and Zhuang Shiping Museum in Puning.

The Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base is an important platform to boost domestic and international cultural exchanges. It is comprised of four categories, which are cultural relics under protection, well-known tourist attractions, cultural research and training institutes, and cultural exchange units.

As a folk art troupe, Meiling Piaose is famous for being creative with their make-up and for performing intriguing plots. Performances in worldwide cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore have helped the art form to gain popularity.

Wuchuan piaose is a Chinese traditional art form involving models dressed up as characters from historical stories or fairy tales that are held aloft on a hidden pole. Models often include children, as well as decorated dolls. [Photo/gdzjdaily.com.cn]