Event held in Bulgaria to celebrate upcoming Spring Festival

Hundreds of Bulgarians participated in the event, enjoying Chinese tea, calligraphy, paper-cutting, shows, various kinds of cuisine, among others.

SOFIA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The China Cultural Center in Sofia on Sunday held an event to celebrate upcoming Spring Festival which marks the start of the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year.

Hundreds of Bulgarians participated in the event, enjoying Chinese tea, calligraphy, paper-cutting, shows, various kinds of cuisine, among others.

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli at the event noted that last December, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Spring Festival on intangible cultural heritage list.

She said the festival is not only China's most important traditional holiday, but also serves as a global celebration of unity and joy.

Tsoncho Ganev, vice president of the Bulgarian National Assembly, attended the event and extended his Chinese New Year greetings.

Hong Hai, director of the China Cultural Center in Sofia, said that this year, within the framework of the "Happy Chinese New Year" initiative, a tour with performances in Varna, Plovdiv, Sofia and Pernik will be presented, so that more local people could feel the joyful atmosphere of the holiday.

Zhina Angelova, one of the participants, told Xinhua that it was "a unique event … I love Chinese New Year a lot. It is very special to me -- like ours, the Bulgarian one. That's how I feel about it."

It is the third time that she has come to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Angelova said, adding, "I'm very happy."

This year's Spring Festival falls on Jan. 29, kicking off the Year of the Snake. ■