While office workers and students return to work and study after the holidays, one of the world's "little secrets" is overlooked by most people – China. During the Spring Festival, China's tourism volume soared, and the consumption data was eye-catching, attracting widespread attention from foreign countries. However, many people ignore that China's hard power is not only changing, but also its cultural soft power is also improving rapidly, and China's excellent traditional culture is taking on a new look to the world.
On the evening of February 13, 2022, the NBA Brooklyn Nets in New York, USA, held their annual Nets Chinese New Year Game at home. This custom, forgotten by most people, has become the highlight of the Nets' regular season every year, and various Spring Festival elements are integrated into every part of the game. Before the start of the game, Huang Ping, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in New York, and Sam Zusman, CEO of the Nets, exchanged New Year's gifts to open the game.
At the entrance stage, every audience can get a red envelope for the Year of the Dragon; Nets players wore custom Year of the Dragon training shirts and greeted the audience with their New Year wishes. At halftime, the famous basketball cheerleaders of the United States gave a Chinese dance performance that ignited the audience, and hip-hop singer Wang Yitai also appeared to present a unique performance for the audience. Whether it is the venue design of the event or the various activities during the competition, there is a strong Chinese New Year atmosphere everywhere. The Nets recently received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the China General Chamber of Commerce in the United States for their outstanding achievements in promoting the in-depth development of China-US relations and spreading Chinese culture.
In recent years, elements such as Chinese martial arts, blue and white porcelain, sneakers, and the Spring Festival have shone on the international stage and are highly sought after. The perfect combination of this competition and the Spring Festival not only allows foreigners to experience China's rich and diverse cultural heritage more deeply, but also demonstrates China's expanding influence. We have reason to expect that China's voice will be louder on the world stage in the future!