**:Xinhua.
Ashgabat, 6 Feb (Xinhua) -- The closing ceremony of Turkmenistan's "Year of Chinese Culture" was held at the National Cultural Center in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, on 5 February. Thousands of spectators gathered together to witness the grand occasion of the event.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Turkmenistan, and co-organized by China International Culture Group.
Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan Qian Naicheng said in his speech that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China and Turkmenistan have achieved mutual respect, mutual benefit and mutual trust and win-win cooperation, which has set a good example for the development of state-to-state relations. With the conclusion of the series of activities of Turkmenistan's "Chinese Cultural Year", the curtain of China's "Turkmenistan Cultural Year" is about to begin. It is believed that the holding of the "Year of Culture" will become an important stage to show the excellent cultural traditions and national spirit of Turkmenistan to Chinese friends.
Deputy Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Shirimov said that the "Year of Chinese Culture" series of activities has allowed the Turkish people to understand the uniqueness of Chinese culture and art and exchange experiences with each other. The celebration of the "Year of Chinese Culture" is also a significant sign of the growing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
At the closing ceremony, the actors from the Hangzhou Opera and Dance Theater and the 12 Xiangdai Art Troupe of Xiangdai Palace presented wonderful theatrical performances. The lively and cheerful opening song and dance "Happy Chinese Year", the melodious erhu ensemble "New Horse Racing", the pleasing cheongsam art show "Ink Dyeing Jiangnan", the opera performance "National Quintessence Treasure" integrating multiple genres, and the beautiful and tactful instrumental ensemble "Liang Zhu" ......More than a dozen programs are exquisitely arranged, which feasts the audience's eyes.
It's the first time I've performed so closely** from China, and the show is wonderful! "Uyar, a Turkmen guy, was full of praise for the performance. He told reporters that he has always been very interested in Chinese food, film and television, and hopes to go to China in the future to have a deeper understanding of China's history and culture.
According to reports, the holding of the "Year of Chinese Culture" in Turkmenistan aims to implement the consensus in the joint statement of the two countries in January 2023 on "holding mutual cultural activities from 2023 to 2024", actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, further consolidate the achievements of the China-Central Asia Summit, tell China's story well, strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and promote Chinese culture to the world.