There is a long tradition for cultural exchanges between Norway and China. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's works early caught the interest of China's great author Lu Xun, who introduced Ibsen to a Chinese audience. Since then, Ibsen's "A Dolls House" has been performed countless times in China, and the strong Nora has inspired also Chinese women. The People's Literature Publishing House published Ibsen's Collected Works in 1995.
Music and art bring people together across language barriers, and a great diversity of musical expressions has inspired listeners and artists from both countries. Visiting Chinese musicians to Norway have presented traditional Chinese folk music, ancient Naxi minority music, and Beijing Opera, and Norwegian soloists, ensembles and bands have performed in the Middle Kingdom.
Norwegian artists in a wide range of other expressions, e.g. sculpture, textile, ceramics, prints, and contemporary media art, also continue to meet their Chinese colleagues and audiences at workshops and exchanges in China and Norway.
Sport also brings together enthusiastic athletes and audiences from the two countries at different arenas. Young Chinese football players have taken part in Norway Cup together with thousands of other young and eager footballers. In 2002, the Chinese Ambassador to Norway at that time, Mr. Ma Enhan, handed over the first prize to the team from Beijing. Norway has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in Oslo in 1952 and in Lillehammer in 1994. A Memorandum of Understanding in the field of sports was signed when Norwegian Minister of Church and Culture Affairs was in China in September 2003.
Many Norwegians are now eagerly looking forward to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and contact has already been established between sports organizations in the two countries in connection with this grand event.