Actress Yao Chen became the first Chinese artist to grace the cover of a limited edition collectable calendar in the 2016 Pirelli New Year Calendar Market held in London, according to the Chinese State Media.

This commemorates a cultural landmark, and highlights how Chinese stars help spread the country's culture abroad.

Like Us on Facebook

In the 1930s, Beijing opera gained attention due to its cultural significance, and this captivated the interest of the international audience.

Mei Lanfang, a famous Beijing opera artist, widely known for his feminine roles along with his expertise of performing classical numbers, dazzled the US audience in February with his performance of Fenhe River Bay, Sword Dance and The Assassination of General Li Gu. These performances earned a standing ovation that Lanfang had to answer more than 10 curtain calls after each stage play.

Another contemporary example of this spread of culture through entertainment is the overseas adaptation of a younger version of the 'Peony Pavilion'.

Peony Pavilion was a play originally written in the Ming Dynasty and had its first theater adaptation in 1528.  Traditionally portrayed as a 'Kunqu' opera, it has been adapted into a modern version, to provide more appeal to the audience.

Other Chinese plats that have been promoted internationally include the opera 'The White Haired Girl' and the novel, 'The Original World'.

In this modern age of audiovisuals and social media, movie stars have a powerful influence and are in an ideal position to promote their culture

Movie star Jackie Chan has said that his goal is to promote Chinese culture worldwide through martial arts.

Kung Fu moves integrated in his films nurtured people's interest in the culture of China. Bruce Lee also achieved this goal in the early days of his career.

The practice of promoting Chinese culture is not only limited to the entertainment industry. Some have made their mark for their successful work in other specialties such as the Nobel prize-winning author Mo Yan and pharmacist Tu Youyou.

Tagsartists, Promote, Culture, worldwide