Spring Festival celebrated around the world

Nepalese people show the Chinese paper-cut of "Fu", a Chinese character which means happiness and blessing, during the Happy Chinese New Year cultural celebrations held at the China Cultural Center in Nepal from Jan. 25 to 28, 2019. (People's Daily/Yuan Jirong)

Spring Festival, which is also called Chinese New Year (CNY), is the most important festival for Chinese people, and a vivid display of the values and aesthetic pursuit of the Chinese nation. The "Happy Chinese New Year" global celebration campaign, an activity with the widest coverage, largest number of participants, and the most extensive influence in China’s foreign cultural exchange, will be held for the 10th year.

The celebration activity for Spring Festival 2019 has officially started globally as the Chinese New Year is around the corner. From mid-January to late February, more than 1,500 cultural activities of 30 types such as exhibitions, art performances, New Year’s fairs, parades, intangible cultural heritage shows and ice dragon boat races will take place in 396 cities in 133 countries and regions. These activities serve as a platform for the world to experience the Chinese New Year.

Hereunder are four highlights of the global celebration campaign.

Highlight No.1: Integration of culture and tourism

The Spring Festival 2019 is the first Chinese New Year after the establishment of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The integrative development of culture and tourism will be the largest highlight of the "Happy Chinese New Year" global celebration campaign this year.

A visitor in Germany shows People's Daily reporter a panda doll he just bought in the exhibition area of the culture and tourism of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in southwest China. From Jan. 24 to 27, 2019, a series of cultural celebrations with the theme "Happy Chinese New Year" were held at a shopping mall on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, capital of Germany. (People's Daily/Hua Fang)

The "Beautiful China" Tourism Promotion event will be held along with the "Happy Chinese New Year" global celebration campaign in many cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Zagreb.

The global celebration event will kick off as a part of the activities to observe the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Belt and Road countries such as Russia, Mongolia, and Bulgaria. Cultural and tourism exhibition and experiencing activities in various forms will take place, bringing the atmosphere of CNY to people in these countries.

Highlight No.2: New Year’s fairs displaying folk customs

As a traditional brand of the global celebration campaign, the New Year fairs have strong festive characteristics. From Feb. 2 to 10, the Beijing Municipal People's Government will unveil a New Year fair with Finland’s Helsinki Municipal Government. The fair, which will be held for the 12th consecutive year, has become totally localized as a large-scale cultural event in winter.

Sharm el-Sheikh of Egypt will also hold a grand fair, which includes exhibition and handicrafts auction, art and acrobatic performances, Chinese food exhibition, as well as carnivals and parades. The New Year fairs will also take place in countries and regions such as Argentina, Mauritius, and Wellington.

Highlight No. 3: Intangible cultural heritages

Various private cultural institutions, social organizations and inheritors of intangible cultural heritages will become the major force for the "Happy Chinese New Year" global celebration activity. From late January to early February, artists from Guangdong will hold a series of exhibitions of intangible cultural heritages in many cultural organizations of Washington D.C.

A mother shows her daughter's calligraphy work of the Chinese phrase "Xingyun" (good luck) during the Happy Chinese New Year cultural celebrations held at a shopping mall on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin from Jan. 24 to 27, 2019. (People's Daily/Hua Fang)

Currently, handicrafts and Chengdu delicacies are displayed at the China Cultural Center in Berlin from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11. In addition, lantern companies from Sichuan will hold lantern shows in 10 cities including Madrid, Tokyo, and Tirana, lighting up these places with the friendship of the Chinese people.

Highlight No.4: Art shows

On Feb.8, the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra will stage a Chinese New Year concert in the New York headquarters of the United Nations, the first concert for celebrating CNY to be held in the general assembly hall of the UN headquarters.

Chinese dancers perform "Forever Jiangnan" at the opening of The Charms of Wonderful Jiangsu - Cultural and Tourism Year of Jiangsu at the China Cultural Center in Singapore on Jan 26, 2019. The performance infuses folk songs, dance, acrobatics and traditional instruments from the eastern Chinese province. (People's Daily/Lin Rui)

From Feb. 9 to 21, the Troupe One of the National Peking Opera Company and the China National Chimes Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Performing Arts Group will join hands for a performance tour in Chicago, Detroit, Muscatine, and San Diego.

It will be the first performance played by a full set of chimes in the history of the "Happy Chinese New Year" global celebration campaign. In addition, a series of excellent stage performances and exhibitions of treasures will take place during the global celebration activity, such as the amazing ballet show Raise the Red Lantern by the National Ballet of China, and Legendary Amazons by the National Peking Opera Company.