An Umbrella, a Suitcase and a New Life: Colombian Performer Finds His Stage in China

On a stage in central China, a Colombian performer in a polka-dot costume carries an old suitcase, opens an umbrella and makes a crowd of strangers laugh without saying a word.

For Nico, the place he once watched on his phone is now his workplace: Wansui Mountain Wuxia City in Kaifeng, Henan Province, where he performs mime in the theme park.

The move brought an actor with more than a decade of experience to an unfamiliar country, an enthusiastic new audience and a language whose tones would prove considerably harder to master than a silent routine.

It began with scrolling.

In 2023, videos of the park started appearing in his social media feed. A year later, a Colombian friend who had worked in China for six years helped connect him with the park's talent agency.

Nico has forgotten the first clip. The impression it left has stayed with him.

"The scale of the park and its architecture impressed me," he told Shanghai Daily. "Just thinking about coming here to work made my heart race. When I finally arrived, it felt like a dream come true."

His family had rather less time to picture his new life. He told them and his friends just a week before boarding the plane.

"They were very surprised and very happy about the big adventure I was about to begin," he said.

The journey to China was new territory. The desire to perform went back to school plays, when he was 12.

He later studied acting at university, building a career in Colombian television, advertising, theatre and clown performance. He also taught for about five years before concentrating exclusively on the performing arts.

Yet his first shows at Wansui Mountain still left him exhilarated.

"It was really exciting to stand on incredible stages I had never imagined I would perform on," he said.

The park surrounds visitors with a world inspired by Chinese martial arts fiction. Costumed performers draw them into stories and challenges, making encounters with strangers part of the entertainment.

For Nico, those interactions quickly became one of the rewards of the job.

"Chinese audiences are wonderful," he said. "Every moment of interaction is sincere and fun."

After one show, a visitor surprised him with a bouquet of flowers.

At first, Nico thought it was a joke. No one had ever given him flowers before, he said. When he realized the gift was sincere, he began to cry.

He had thought he was simply doing his job, he said. The bouquet showed him how much a performance could mean to someone in the audience. Other gifts have followed, and he keeps them.

"Being able to share joy and create unforgettable moments in every performance is something truly beautiful," he said.

Away from the stage, Nico is learning to make himself understood with words.

Mandarin's tones have proved challenging, he said. Gestures and eye contact help him navigate everyday exchanges, while successful conversations bring a satisfaction of their own: Understanding others and making himself understood.

Kaifeng was his first Chinese city. He said the warmth of its residents had helped him settle in and that he had never felt like a foreigner there.

His curiosity extends to local food, customs and traditional Chinese medicine. On days off, he has traveled to Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Yiwu and Hefei. Those visits have left him eager to return and explore further.

"I think I should go back and learn more about the local customs," he said. "I'm eager to visit more places in China in the future."