June 22, 2009
Jackie and Friends Concert in Chinatown (Los Angeles); Special Anniversary Party in Hong Kong
On Monday, June 22nd, Jackie held a free "Jackie Chan and Friends" concert at Central Plaza in Los Angeles' Chinatown. The show, which drew huge crowds, was highlighted by Jackie's performance of the patriotic song "Country." Also performing were the New Seven Little Fortunes' Xu Dong Mei, Xu Nin, Jack Tu, Jerry Liao, Yang Zheng, and Ji Tao plus Korean singer Steve Yoo.
During the event, Jackie invited children from the audience onto the stage, where he taught them the lyrics to "Country" and presented them with gifts of his custom designed filmstrip rulers as well as books which teach Chinese. He also delighted the crowd by tossing out t-shirts for lucky fans to catch.
For many years Jackie has worked to promote Chinese culture to the rest of the world. Jackie told reporters that the song "Country," which was written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, encouraged patriotism. "People can live a better life only when their country gets strong," he said. "If different countries become strong and coexist in harmony, there will be everlasting peace in the world."
The free concert, which was sponsored by the U.S.-China Artists Union, the China Shangdong Laizhou Martial Arts Association, the Los Angeles Chinatown Business Improvement District, and the Los Angeles Chinatown Corporation, also featured performances by local and international martial arts troupes.
During the event, Jackie invited children from the audience onto the stage, where he taught them the lyrics to "Country" and presented them with gifts of his custom designed filmstrip rulers as well as books which teach Chinese. He also delighted the crowd by tossing out t-shirts for lucky fans to catch.
For many years Jackie has worked to promote Chinese culture to the rest of the world. Jackie told reporters that the song "Country," which was written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, encouraged patriotism. "People can live a better life only when their country gets strong," he said. "If different countries become strong and coexist in harmony, there will be everlasting peace in the world."
The free concert, which was sponsored by the U.S.-China Artists Union, the China Shangdong Laizhou Martial Arts Association, the Los Angeles Chinatown Business Improvement District, and the Los Angeles Chinatown Corporation, also featured performances by local and international martial arts troupes.
In other news....
Immediately following the concert in Los Angeles, Jackie flew back to Hong Kong for a 50th Anniversary reunion with classmates from the China Drama Academy (sometimes referred to as the Peking Opera School). He was joined by Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and other former members of the school. They reminisced about the hard times they endured as children, but also talked about the fond memories and lifelong bonds they made with each other.
Graduates of the China Drama Academy have been meeting on a regular basis for many years. Although Jackie is often traveling, he has attended many of these reunions. You can read about their last gathering here.
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