Overseas Chinese New Year celebrations are full of shows.
Dragons all over the world, dancing together (global hot spots).
Reporter Xu Lingyuan.
The Spring Festival is an iconic symbol of Chinese civilization and an important part of the world's intangible cultural heritage. Nowadays, overseas, more and more foreign friends participate in the celebration of the Chinese New Year, experience this unique way of pursuing a better life that has been inherited for a long time, understand Chinese history and culture, and share joy in exchanges.
Share the joy of the Spring Festival.
2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the lunar calendar. As the totem of the Chinese nation, the dragon is a symbol of auspiciousness and luck. On the occasion of the Year of the Dragon, leaders of many countries and heads of international organizations have delivered speeches to extend New Year greetings to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese around the world. UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the Chinese New Year on its first appearance on the UN festival calendar, saying that the dragon symbolizes vitality, wisdom, protection and good luck, which are exactly the qualities we need to meet today's global challenges.
Red is a symbol of auspiciousness and festivity in Chinese culture. During the Spring Festival, landmarks in many parts of the world are draped in red to welcome the joyful festival. The spire of the Empire State Building in New York, USA, flashes red, lighting up with the theme of Chinese New Year; The giant Ferris wheel "London Eye" in London, England, is lit up with red and gold lights, symbolizing happiness and auspiciousness; In the center of St. Petersburg, Russia, "Chinese red" makes the Holy Trinity Bridge even more beautiful; In Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo Tower also changed into a red outfit to send blessings for the Year of the Dragon.
Overseas, the Spring Festival celebrations are in full swing, bringing joy to the world. Overseas Chinese communities have held activities such as garden fairs and dragon and lion dances, attracting a large number of local people to participate, allowing foreign friends to experience the charm of Chinese New Year culture.
According to the British Radio**, during the Spring Festival, Trafalgar Square in central London is noisy with gongs and drums. The 2024 Year of the Dragon was held in London, England, where the intangible cultural heritage of the Chinese New Year was held, including singing and dancing, dragon and lion dances, and parades of floats, attracting more than 700,000 people. The event was attended by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. According to the report, the Chinese New Year celebration in London is the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside Asia.
At the same time, more and more foreigners in China are deeply involved in the Spring Festival celebrations. In Zhangping Village, Beishan Town, Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, more than 30 foreign friends from Spain, Italy, Ukraine and other countries participated in the Spring Festival celebration with the Chinese people.
I have been in China for 5 years, and it is the first time that I have felt such a strong New Year's flavor up close. Infected by the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival, I couldn't help but perform a dance for everyone today. Natasha, an international friend from Ukraine, said. She was dressed in Hanfu and danced gracefully, winning bursts of applause. Gigi from Italy danced a bamboo pole dance and a fish lantern dance to share the beauty of the festival with Chinese friends.
Increase the popularity of consumption.
During the Spring Festival in 2024, China's outbound tourism will continue to pick up. With the increase in visa-free countries and the resumption of international flights, Southeast Asia continues to be a popular destination. According to data from the Shanghai border inspection department, in the three days since the implementation of the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Singapore, more than 10,000 people from the two countries have entered and exited through the Shanghai Pudong Airport port, which is 15 times that of the same period last year. According to Ctrip, a travel service and hotel booking platform, bookings from Chinese mainland tourists to Singapore during the Spring Festival holiday increased by more than 960% year-on-year, with Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou as the main source cities.
People from many European countries said that the arrival of Chinese tourists has added heat to the European tourism industry.
Urs Kessler, CEO of the Swiss Jungfrau Railway, said the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Jungfrau region is steadily rising. From 8 to 20 February, the Jungfrau Railway Company blessed Chinese tourists with oriental decorations on its trains and platforms.
Ivana Jelinic, director and chief executive of Italy's National Tourism Agency, said that the Spring Festival is the peak time for Chinese tourists. In 2024, starting with the Chinese New Year holiday in the Year of the Dragon, it is expected that the scale of Chinese tourists visiting Italy will fully recover, which will not only benefit the Italian tourism-related industries, but also bring opportunities for the "Made in Italy" industry, retail and catering industries.
During the Spring Festival, various Spring Festival special commodities and cultural products are welcomed. According to the BBC**, during the Spring Festival of 2024, Apple released the Spring Festival short film "Little Garlic"; Burberry launches Lunar New Year collection in Chengdu, China; Coca-Cola released a special edition of the Year of the Dragon with the Golden Dragon logo in Vietnam. Major brands have launched special Spring Festival activities and special Spring Festival products, bringing people richer enjoyment and experience, boosting consumption and promoting the exchange of diverse cultures.
Promote emotional communication.
The rich cultural connotation and lively expression of the Spring Festival have laid a solid foundation for the Chinese New Year to continue to go global. Xiao Fang, director of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore at the School of Sociology of Beijing Normal University, said that the shared value of human beings during the Spring Festival is mainly reflected in four aspects:
First, the folk customs of the Spring Festival embody the natural ethical value of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. On the occasion of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new year, people practice the harmony between man and nature with the attitude of welcoming the new year.
Second, the Spring Festival folk customs are centered on family reunions. It uses a grand Chinese New Year's Eve dinner ceremony to summon the scattered family members to return to their hometown, enjoy the family feast, and strengthen the family by keeping the New Year around the fireplace, talking about family affairs at night and greeting New Year's blessings. The adherence to family values is a positive factor for the Spring Festival to go global.
Third, the Spring Festival folk customs have community identity value. The Spring Festival is an important opportunity for neighborly interactions. On the occasion of the Spring Festival, residents of urban and rural communities walked around each other to pay New Year's greetings, enjoy New Year's operas and temple fairs, etc., which enhanced the mutual understanding and communication of community members and realized the organic unity of the community.
Fourth, Spring Festival folk arts, such as the Dragon and Lion Dance, show the wisdom and strength of the people. The folk art of the Spring Festival is highly ornamental, showing the beautiful soul of the people, and is an artistic language appreciated by the whole world.
During the Spring Festival, cultural exchanges, community gatherings and other activities around the world are frequently held, providing more opportunities for people to communicate and becoming an important platform for promoting people-to-people bonds. The China Cultural Center in Stockholm held a series of cultural exchange activities in the Swedish capital, among which the "Jinshan Jimei" Datong Food Show attracted attention. The chef team from Datong, Shanxi Province showed their skills in this event, and the chefs were skilled in knife skills and superb cooking skills; The color of the various noodles is attractive and fragrant. Swedish people tasted Chinese food and felt the charm of Chinese culture on the spot.
Through the Spring Festival activities, foreign friends have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and history, and enhance mutual recognition and friendship. The Spring Festival promotes exchanges and cooperation among different cultures and makes positive contributions to world peace and development.
According to an article published by the BNN News Network in the United States, the rich and diverse Spring Festival celebrations around the world fully reflect the joyful sharing and mutual appreciation in cultural exchanges. Chinese New Year is a lesson for the world: differences do not hinder unity, but rather help to bring out the beauty of cultural diversity.