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VOL. 27, NO. 22, February 08, 2007 (Magh 25 2064 B.S.)
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CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL 2008
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Sharing Culture
Organized by Araniko Society, Chinese Spring Festival 2008 (New Year) was observed by launching various programs
By A CORRESPONDENT
When Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zheng Xianglin joined the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Prithvi Subba Gurung at the stage, a popular Nepali song Resham Firiri... wsa sung, which drew cheers and joy from the Chinese and Nepalese audiences at a hall in Hotel Yak and Yeti.
Organized to celebrate Chinese New Year, Chinese ambassador Xianglin chose the song to express greeting to Nepali people on the occasion of Chinese New year. Taking part in joint chorus with the Minister, Chinese ambassador made Nepalese and Chinese audience jubilant in the Chinese New year.
The two-hour-long cultural program was full of interesting shows demonstrated by professional Nepali and armateur Chinese citizens living and working in Nepal. Along with Nepalese cultural groups, Chinese citizens also presented various dances, songs and recital of poems.
“Chinese government and Chinese people believe that Nepal’s peace process will completely achieve its objective to bring long term peace and stability in Nepal in coming year,” said Chinese ambassador to Nepal Xianglin. “In the last year, China and Nepal have seen some important progress in their bilateral relations. The trade between the two countries jumped over 50 percent and people to people contact have made significant progress as the mobility of the people increased by 300 percent.”
This year symbolizes the mouse year – a year of hope. Most of the performances were based on the peace and hope. From Chinese teachers and Nepalese students of Confucius Department of Kathmandu University to other Chinese youth volunteers teaching Chinese language in various academic institutions, they presented programs wishing happy and prosperous year.
“As Nepal and China share many culture and religious values and many Nepalese ethnic groups too celebrate new year during this time, I am very happy join celebration of Spring Festival 2008 in Nepal,” said Minister Gurung.
The program started with the dance of Bajrayogini of Sankhu and ended with a concert of Sitar-Sudha.
The dance of Bajra Yogini symbolizes the combination of Hinduism and Buddhism. Another important aspect of Vajra Yogini is that every Nepali who planned to travel to Tibet and China used to worship this goddess before leaving for the trans-Himalayan journey.
“We have been organizing this kind of program in Nepal for the last few years,” said Dr. Harish Chandra Shah, president of Arniko Society. “This helps to strengthen the people to people relations between the two countries.”
The gathering of a large number of Chinese living in Nepal and Nepalese from different walks of life to celebrate the Spring Festival showed growing relations at the people to people level between the two countries.
