Venezuela holds exhibition to mark Chinese Lunar New Year

People attend the opening of the exhibition "The Central Axis of Beijing" in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 24, 2016. According to local press, the exhibition is held as part of celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year. [Xinhua/Boris Vergara]

The Chinese embassy in Venezuela on Jan 24 opened a photo exhibition on Beijing, which kicked off the Chinese New Year celebrations in the Latin American country.

The exhibition features 100 photographs of the historic landmarks and monuments that lie along the the Chinese capital city's central axis, extending 7.8 km from the Drum Tower in the north to the Yongding Gate in the south.

"We are very pleased to share with our Venezuelan friends the start of this new year, with the opening of this exhibition on China's capital, a city that is more than 4,000 years old," said Lan Hu, political counselor of the embassy.

The exhibits also include 14 miniature models of city highlights, as well as videos and interactive games that bring the central axis to life.Existing since the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Beijing's central axis is home to such key sites as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Tian'anmen Square.

Maria Fernanda Barreto, cultural coordinator of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, appreciated the Chinese embassy for bringing Venezuela closer to the Chinese culture "through this wonderful exhibition."

Barreto noted that 2016 has been named the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Year, and relevant activities in Venezuela will strengthen the ties between the two nations.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 8, will usher in the Year of the Monkey.