The Spring Festival is being marked all around the globe, including in Serbia, a small country in south-eastern Europe. Serbia has long had good relations with China, including visa-free travel and high levels of trade. There're also a number of Chinese enterprises working on major infrastructure projects there. Our correspondent Aljosa Milenkovic brings us this report from the Serbian capital Belgrade.

The night of Super Moon gave the perfect setting for marking of beginning of the Chinese Spring Festival in downtown Belgrade. Hundreds of Serbs and Chinese have gathered in Belgrade University campus to attend this celebration, prepared by the Chinese language students along with their Chinese guests.

GORAN VASILJEVIC PRESIDENT OF THE FAR EAST SOCIETY "Spring Festival is our traditional program which we mark every year, since the launch of our society. We've collaborated for years now with the Center for Kids from For Tai district of Beijing. This is fourth time that they are in Belgrade. Children from Aleksa Shantich school in Belgrade are hosting their Beijing friends in their homes. Friendships have already emerged between them, and now Serbian kids are invited to visit Beijing this summer."

But despite significant language barrier this hour and a half long show in both Chinese and Serbian, took undivided attention of the audience. It was just one more example that the Chinese culture and tradition has found fertile ground here.

ALJOSA MILENKOVIC BELGRADE "It is hard to understand how the two nations separated by thousands and thousands of kilometers, with absolutely different cultures, traditions, languages, religions can be so close. But yet they are. Construction of Chinese cultural center, which is right behind me, is just one of the examples."

This project is in full swing and it will be Chinese culture hub for entire region, since it's going to be among the biggest ones in Europe. Around the same time, almost 100 kilometers south-west from Belgrade, Chinese engineers and workers from the Shandong Hi-Speed Group are using favorable weather to meet tight deadlines for finishing part of Serbia's new highway. For them, thousands of kilometers away from home, Spring Festival has a special tone.

LI SIKUN CIVIL ENGINEER "I think the spirit of the Spring Festival is missing home, our country, our city. So, that's why we have to get together, to celebrate together. I hope this project will be completed well, and I would like to go back to China to see my wife, to see my parents. I miss them very much at the moment, especially as Spring Festival arrives."

Back at the Belgrade University campus, participants of the celebration event were saying goodbye to the thrilled audience. Many of them will spend their Spring Festival holidays here together with their Serbian friends. Aljosa Milenkovic, CGTN, Belgrade.