China Media Group (CMG) on Friday held a cultural event in the Palace of Nations, home of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival and promote CMG's Spring Festival Gala.
The event called "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala," and previously held in the United States and Kenya, was attended by over 300 representatives and diplomats from countries across the world.
Participants made dumplings, cut paper window decorations and practiced Chinese calligraphy to experience the most important traditional festival in China.
Participants of China Media Group's culture event "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala" making dumplings, Geneva, Switzerland, February 2, 2024. /CMG
CMG's Spring Festival Gala, a four-and-half-hour-long annual TV show consisting of singing and dancing, opera, sketch comedy, crosstalk, martial arts and acrobatics, has been broadcast live on Chinese New Year's Eve every year since 1983.
CMG President Shen Haixiong in his video address said that watching CMG's Spring Festival Gala has become a new tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year in China. This year, CMG strives to create a cultural feast full of joy and warmth through the gala that combines idea, art and technology and integrates Chinese traditional culture with modernity, he noted.
Shen Haixiong, president of China Media Group, speaks in a video address to the culture event "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala." /CMG
Shen said that the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution not long ago that officially lists the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, as a UN floating holiday, which demonstrates the charm of Chinese civilization and the Eastern culture and shows the United Nations' cultural values of diversity and inclusion.
Shen added that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and CMG wishes to join hands with people in Switzerland to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, advance human civilization and work toward a modernized world featuring peace, development, mutually beneficial cooperation and shared prosperity.
Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the UN Office at Geneva, in her speech thanked China for its efforts in safeguarding multilateralism and eradicating poverty and hunger in the past year.
Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the UN Office at Geneva speaks at China Media Group's culture event "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala," Geneva, Switzerland, February 2, 2024. /CMG
Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the UN office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, said that Spring Festival, as the most important traditional festival in Chinese culture, is not only a time for family reunion but also highlights peace, friendship and harmony valued by Chinese civilization.
Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, speaks at China Media Group's culture event "Prelude to Spring Festival Gala," Geneva, Switzerland, February 2, 2024. /CMG
China as a founding member of the UN will continue to push for modernization through high-quality development. At the same time, China will further propel multilateral cooperation with the UN at its core and aim for more contribution to world peace and common development, Chen said.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, expressed her hope at the event that countries will continue to work together to solve issues facing the world.
The Chinese New Year 2024 will begin on February 10, kicking off the Year of the Dragon.
(Cover image via CMG)