Chinese New Year cultural tour a 'great success' in Estonia

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A large crowd of Estonians was entertained on Sunday with a great Chinese cultural event, including dragon and lion dancing, Wushu, acrobatics and a Chinese traditional music concert, celebrating Chinese New Year.

The performances were staged in Tallinn's Freedom Square by the Estonian Sports and Traditional Wushu Federation, which was taught by visiting Beijing performers in 2015.

File photo of lion dancing /CFP Photo

Delivering a speech, Taavi Aas, acting mayor of the Estonian capital, welcomed the arrival of the Chinese artists, wishing a happy Chinese New year to all and referring to the culture of the Year of the Rooster.

He told Xinhua that Estonians are interested in Chinese culture, and the cultural exchange is beneficial to promoting closer cooperation in various sectors including business and information technology.

Chinese Ambassador to Estonia Qu Zhe hailed the contribution of the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural tour over eight consecutive years to the cultural exchange between China and Estonia and at the local level, which provides a more diverse form of entertainment for Estonians and deepens the friendship and understanding between the two peoples.

A family of three including father Aleksei, mother Tatjana, and their two-year-old son Andrei, said this is the third time they have seen the Happy Chinese New Year cultural event, describing the performance as "special and interesting."

File photo of dragon ‍dancing /CFP Photo

At a packed Estonia Concert Hall, two traditional Chinese orchestras presented a performance featuring two regional styles of Chinese music: one from Shaanxi Province, the start of the ancient Silk Road in the northwest of China, and the other from Fuchun Mountain, known for its beautiful landscape located in Zhejiang Province in east China.

Audience member Marika Kattai told Xinhua that she likes the Silk Road music the most, describing the performance as "very good."

Kalev Kallo, Chairman of the City Council of Tallinn, told Xinhua that he has visited China 12 times, and enjoyed the performance very much.

The orchestras also performed the Estonian piece of music "Estonian Soil and Estonian Heart," winning a long standing ovation from the audience.

(Source: Xinhua)

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