A Worldwide Celebration

People around the world celebrate the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year By Li Fangfang

As people across China started to celebrate the Spring Festival, which fell on February 16 this year and marked the start of the Year of the Dog in the Chinese lunar calendar, they were not only happy to return to their homes, but also buoyed by the knowledge that Chinese culture and traditions have brought joy to so many worldwide.

Grand celebrations have taken place all over the world during the festival, with the continuation of traditions that have been passed down across centuries: from family reunions and temple fairs to feasts of dumplings and other local delicacies.

A series of cultural shows initiated by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council was staged in 16 countries this year. Six Chinese art troupes traveled to 29 cities worldwide with 33 performances in a monthly tour ending on March 8, said Tan Tianxing, Vice Minister of the office, on February 6.

The Chinese community in Wellington, New Zealand, held a gala replete with performances for local people in January, as did the German town of Hanau, where 600 people celebrated together on February 4.

Lanterns were raised along the streets of Myanmar’s largest city Yangon in early February, while people in Bangladesh solved lantern riddles, a Chinese tradition during the Spring Festival.

In Amman, the capital city of Jordan, folk music, traditional dance, acrobatics, puppet shows and the mysterious “face-changing” Sichuan Opera were all performed in a show held jointly by the Chinese Embassy in Jordan, the Jordanian Ministry of Culture and the Greater Amman Municipality at the Royal Cultural Center.

( Photos by Xinhua News Agency)