Various celebrations are held across Europe to mark the Chinese New Year

LONDON/BUDAPEST/SOFIA/MADRID – Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is still a week away, but people across Europe are getting into the festive spirit by tasting traditional Chinese food and enjoying a variety of festive activities. Masu.

Chinese New Year, or Year of the Dragon, falls on February 10th this year. From January 29th to February 12th, 50 iconic red London buses, featuring the national tourism image “Ni Hao China”, the Happy Chinese New Year logo and the auspicious Chinese dragon image, will be installed in Trafalgar Square. , Piccadilly Circus, and St. Paul’s Cathedral bring the blessings of Spring Festival to residents and visitors from all over the world.

On Saturday, the National Maritime Museum in London held a spectacular Lunar New Year celebration, including a lion dance, tea tasting, Lunar New Year readings and mahjong. A similar celebration was held at the British Science Museum on Thursday night.

At a Chinese food tasting event held Friday at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel in London, four master chefs from the Shenzhen Culinary Institute introduced the characteristics of Cantonese cuisine, explained how to prepare it and presented traditional Chinese New Year’s Eve dishes. Guests were invited to prepare and sample dinner. .

In Budapest’s Chinatown, a delegation from southwestern China’s Chengdu city will explore a variety of traditions, including the meticulous craft of painting the insides of glass bottles and the culinary artistry behind Sichuan steamed buns. entertained the Hungarian audience with traditional Chinese art.

“We lived in China for four years and my son was born in Beijing, so we have deep ties to this tradition,” said the man from Kecskemet in central Hungary. “This is our first time coming this quarter, but we want to keep the culture we experienced in China as part of our lives here.”

In Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, a folklore event titled “The Dancing Dragon Welcomes Spring” opened at the Chinese Cultural Center on Saturday. The event featured artistic performances, traditional Chinese games, and Chinese food tastings.

Wang Ming, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, said that Lunar New Year is the oldest and most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, and the dragon is a symbol of prosperity, strength, nobility and good fortune. .

A concert featuring Chinese songs and excerpts from classical operas from around the world was held in Madrid on Saturday as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

At the National Music Auditorium, the choir of the Shenzhen Dance Opera House performed Chinese folk songs such as “Jasmine Flowers” and “Hymn of the Eight Horses,” as well as an excerpt from the famous opera “Les voici!” “Libiamo ne’lieti calici” by Georges Bizet and “Libiamo ne’lieti calici” by Giuseppe Verdi.

“I love music, so I love hearing the sounds of other cultures that are very different from ours. They are very melodious sounds,” attendee Marta Gonzalez told Xinhua after the concert. .

Jose Lorenzo, another attendee from the Spanish city of Cordoba, welcomed efforts to strengthen cultural ties between China and Spain. He expressed his gratitude for the Chinese government’s visa-free policy for Spain.

“I work in the tourism sector and the visa exemption is a great measure for me, but I also hope there will be mutual benefits for Chinese tourists who want to come to Spain. I am considering China as a travel destination “I know some Spaniards. They can go on vacation in August. That’s really encouraging,” he said.