Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), the 2021 "Happy Chinese New Year" activities are about to be launched soon as we ring out the Year of the Rat and ring in the Year of the Ox. It's aimed at promoting international cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation and sending festive regards and best wishes to people around the world. At the same time, the Media Convergence Program 2021, "All about Chinese New Year", is also grandly opened.

Shen Haixiong, Director of the China Media Group (CMG), and Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, delivered speeches via video.

In his speech, Shen Haixiong expressed the hope that the "Happy Chinese New Year" activities would send good wishes to people around the world, enhance the international community's understanding of China and build a bridge of friendship between Chinese and foreign cultures. He also hoped that through China's excellent cultural products, countries around the world will be more deeply aware that the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is not only a value orientation but also a realistic choice.

Hu Heping said in his speech that in the past year, despite the impact of the COVD-19 pandemic, China's cultural and people-to-people exchanges with the rest of the world have never been interrupted, and a variety of transnational and cross-regional online cultural and tourism exchanges have been flourishing.

One of the aims of the 2021 "Happy Chinese New Year" activities is to bring the festive atmosphere and good wishes of the New Year to more parts of the world, Hu added.

It is reported that the 2021 "Happy Chinese New Year" activities will be carried out through online platform with 10 livestreamings starting from February 16, in 10 Chinese cities with distinctive characteristics, exploring the various customs and rich flavor of the Chinese New Year, so that global audiences can experience the flavor of the Chinese New Year without going out.