Spring Festival celebrations kick off in Ukraine with promotion of Chinese culture

KIEV - Celebrations for the upcoming Spring Festival started in Ukraine with a ceremonial reception in Kiev last Tuesday, bringing Chinese and Ukrainian officials and businessmen together.

The event organized by the Chinese Commercial Association (CCA) featured an ensemble of captivating performances in a ballroom of a hotel, which was decorated with bright red lanterns to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The festivity kicked off with a tantalizing show of Chinese and Ukrainian martial arts, with Ukrainian masters performing kung fu and fighting gopak.

The students of Kiev Gymnasium of Oriental Languages staged a dragon dance and a graceful dance with fans and umbrellas.

Among the other highlights of the dinner-show, were classical Chinese songs, the performance of Chinese traditional music instrument Guzheng and the legendary Chinese Opera masks performance.

An extensive dinner banquet was organized to introduce the huge variety of traditional Chinese cuisine to Ukrainians.

Speaking to Xinhua correspondent during the ceremonial reception, Zhou Weijian, the president of the CCA, said that the event is aimed at sharing Chinese culture and traditions with other countries under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

"Given the intensification of Chinese enterprises' activities abroad, their influence in foreign countries is increasing. Therefore, I think it is important to promote Chinese culture overseas. The Chinese culture can boost the 'soft power' of Chinese companies abroad," said Zhou.