VIENNA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Come, come! When the Austrian Carnival meets the Chinese New Year
Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xinyu Yu Tao.
The small town of Villach on Austria's southern border is rainy in winter, but the main square in the heart of the city is a bustling and bustling festival scene. On the afternoon of the 10th, tens of thousands of locals and tourists gathered here to participate in the annual "Carnival Saturday" parade. Fancy costumes and floats complement each other, and the cheers characteristic of the carnival are "lei lei! ", as if the Chinese pronunciation "come, come", the sound comes and goes, so lively.
It is recorded that the city of Villach, located in Carinthia Austria, has been celebrating the carnival for almost 160 years. The event starts on November 11 and lasts for more than three months, culminating in a parade on a Saturday in February. It is also one of the largest carnival celebrations in Austria.
This year's "Carnival Saturday" parade coincided with the first day of the first month of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and the tourists and staff who participated in the event sent New Year greetings to reporters and expressed their expectation that more Chinese tourists would come to Villach to travel and participate in the carnival activities.
In the afternoon, a procession of dozens of floats and about 100 squares marched through the inner city of Villach, throwing candy and confetti to spectators along the way, and distributing local mulled wine. Led by the host, the procession and roadside pedestrians shouted "lei lei!" The atmosphere of the event was pushed to a climax again and again.
According to Silvia Wiensberger, Commercial Director of the Tourist Office of the City of Villach, "Lei Lei! This is a characteristic greeting phrase used by the people of Villach only on "Carnival Saturday". The word doesn't have a specific meaning, but locals use it to send blessings to each other and to set off a festive atmosphere.
Winesberger, dressed in a red coat, also quipped to reporters that she learned from a Chinese friend that "lei lei! The pronunciation is similar to the Chinese "come, come", and the word may have come from China, meaning welcome here.
We welcome our Chinese friends to Villach and we will showcase the best of the local area! Happy Chinese New Year! Winesberger said.
Christine Hochschwartzel, a citizen of Villach, wore a panda-like hat to the parade that day. "Today I am dressed as a cute panda to wish my Chinese friends a Happy New Year! She said.
Austria's Van der Bellen wished a happy New Year on the 10th. He posted: "I wish the overseas Chinese in the Olympics and all those celebrating the Chinese New Year a good year of the dragon and good health!" ”
*:Xinhua.