Global Times: China shows cultural confidence as world shares Spring Festival's spirit, legacy, joy

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Feb 19, 2024, 07:03 ET

BEIJING, Feb. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In New York, a local ice hockey arena is filled with dynamic posters with the color red, dragons and auspicious clouds while the message "Happy Chinese New Year" shines on a 360-degree surround screen, bringing a festive atmosphere to a climax before becoming a sea of jubilation.

In The Hague, the Netherlands, the poster boards in the city's center are covered with the image of the Chinese dragon as the local Tram Line 1, decorated with "Happy Chinese New Year" greetings, travels through the city.

In London, the UK, the Yingge Dance, a folk dance popular in South China's Guangdong Province, was performed at the Burlington Arcade.

Dating back several hundred years, Yingge, the popular folk art, merges opera, dance and martial arts.

One-fifth of the world's population have observed the Spring Festival - the Chinese Lunar New Year - in different ways.

The Spring Festival, which is increasingly becoming a global event, is not only exclusive to China, but also a cultural feast for the world and a celebration for all people to share.

In the garden of the world's diverse civilizations, the flower of China's Spring Festival blooms brilliantly. It is a form of China's cultural confidence that can be felt and touched.

The Chinese Spring Festival carries a sense of joy, hope and better wishes for people all over the world, presenting China in a credible, endearing and respected light.

The growing global popularity of the Spring Festival not only highlights the unique charm of China's cultural heritage but also signifies the world's increasing curiosity and desire to gain a deeper and more positive understanding of China.

After their debut performance wowed locals in London, Chinese Yingge performers, from Puning in South China's Guangdong Province, were so excited that the team decided to promote the Chinese cultural heritage in other overseas regions.

Chen Laifa, their coach and also a national-level inheritor of Yingge, said that he was not worried that the British people would not understand such a performance, which is based on the Liangshan heroes portrayed in the Chinese great classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh.

"Culture sees no borders. Through simple introductions, everyone can understand the dance story, which reflects the strong and upright character of the Liangshan heroes through our performers' costumes and powerful dance moves," he said, adding that the importance of cross-cultural exchanges lies in "going out and letting more people learn about China's intangible cultural heritage."

In the eyes of many foreigners, the Chinese New Year is a festival full of joy, reunion, peace and good wishes.

Both abstract cultural symbols such as family affection and homesickness and substantial cultural elements including Spring Festival couplets, festival feasts and other folklore activities have all become bridges connecting different cultures, bestowing more people with the opportunity to understand and appreciate Chinese culture, further promoting exchanges, dialogues and integration between China and the rest of the world.

Customs and celebrations carrying Chinese people's simple wishes for a better life and a good harvest in the upcoming year have garnered overseas attention as many people are eager to share such wishes and contribute their understanding with their own cultural elements.

As we can see, although some Spring Festival celebrations may change form more or less with the steps of Chinese going abroad, the core values of Chinese philosophy - peace, honesty, sincerity and friendliness - are still there.

As the world faces various challenges and setbacks, Chinese culture and wisdom bring to the world kind, friendly, honest and civilized interaction with other civilizations.

Inheriting the traditional Chinese cultural concepts of peace and harmony, the Spring Festival is a vivid embodiment of the exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

It provides new possibilities and opens up new paths to solve problems faced by humanity, which may be the deep reason why the Spring Festival culture is so popular and welcomed around the world.

Sharing the joy of the Spring Festival and inspired by the vitality of the spring season, people all over the world can unite in collective efforts to build a happier and brighter future.

SOURCE Global Times