·
Arrival:
Chinese President Xi Jinping
arrived in New Delhi on 12 September 2026 to
attend the 18th BRICS Summit, his
first visit to India in nearly seven
years.
·
Cultural
Welcome: Xi and the Chinese delegation received a
colourful cultural presentation at Palam
Air Force Station, showcasing India's regional diversity.
·
Four
Dance Traditions Featured:
o Bihu – Assam:
Energetic folk performance in traditional mustard-yellow and red Muga
silk attire.
o Manipuri Dance – Manipur:
Graceful classical performance featuring fluid movements, gentle footwork,
cylindrical kumil
skirts and translucent veils.
o Garba – Gujarat:
Performers danced in coordinated circles with rhythmic clapping and spins,
wearing colourful mirror-worked chaniya cholis and kediyus.
o Kathak – North India:
Classical presentation featuring intricate tatkar
footwork, rapid chakkars and
expressive storytelling gestures.
·
Cultural
Significance: The welcome combined folk
and classical traditions from different regions,
particularly highlighting India's North-Eastern
cultural heritage through Bihu and Manipuri dance.
·
Message: The
performance offered the Chinese delegation a visual representation of India's
cultural diversity, regional traditions and artistic heritage.
·
Modi–Xi
Meeting: Xi is scheduled to meet Prime
Minister Narendra Modi later on 12
September at Bharat Mandapam for a bilateral
meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
Xi Jinping's first India visit in nearly
seven years has begun with a culturally significant welcome, ahead of a closely
watched Modi–Xi bilateral meeting during the BRICS Summit.
[ABS News Service/12.09.2026]
Chinese
President Xi Jinping received a vibrant cultural welcome in New Delhi on
Saturday as performers showcased Assam's Bihu, Manipuri dance, Gujarat's Garba
and Kathak, a classical dance from northern India, for the arriving delegation
at Palam Air Force Station, putting India’s diverse dance traditions at the
heart of his reception.
Xi
Jinping landed in Delhi on September 12 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit,
marking his first visit to India in nearly seven years.
The
airport presentation brought together folk and classical traditions from
different parts of the country, with the North-Eastern dance traditions of
Assam and Manipur forming a prominent part of the welcome.
The
Bihu performance from Assam brought an energetic start to the cultural
presentation to the sounds of the tabla. The
performers appeared in traditional mustard-yellow and red Muga silk attire.
The
Manipuri classical performance offered a contrasting expression, marked by
fluid, lyrical movements and gentle footwork. Dancers in distinctive
cylindrical kumil skirts and translucent veils
performed subtle upper-body movements, reflecting the graceful character of the
classical tradition.
The
presentation also featured Gujarat’s Garba, with performers moving in
coordinated circles through rhythmic clapping and spins. Colourful,
mirror-embellished chaniya cholis and kediyus added to the visual spectacle of the folk
performance.
Kathak
represented North India in the cultural showcase, with performers presenting
intricate tatkar footwork, rapid chakkars
and expressive storytelling gestures in elegant costumes.
The
cultural welcome brought together the contrasting energy of folk traditions and
the precision of classical dance, offering the visiting delegation a glimpse of
India’s regional and cultural diversity.
Xi
is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Saturday at Bharat
Mandapam for a bilateral meeting.