On 10 February, when Stockholm was bathed in sunshine and covered with snow, the 2018 Happy Chinese New Year Celebration kicked off amid the lively sound of drums. More than 300 members of the Chinese community and local citizens followed the Dragon and Lion dance team from downtown all the way to the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. People sang and danced to welcome the Chinese New Year, and decorated the chilly winter of Northern Europe with warm Chinese Red. Ambassador Gui Congyou, Cultural Counsellor and Director of the China Cultural Center in Stockholm Pu Zhengdong, and Director of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities Mathias Bergendahl also participated.
Ambassador Gui gave a warm new year speech and sent sincere greetings and good wishes to the Chinese community in Sweden. He said China-Sweden relationship is at a new historical starting point, and that the Chinese Embassy in Sweden will vigorously implement the important consensus on cooperation reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote the traditional friendship between the two peoples, enhance mutual understanding and trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and strive to achieve continuous development of the bilateral relationship. He is confident that China-Sweden relations will usher in better prospects in 2018 as long as the two sides work together, treat each other with sincerity and engage in heart-to-heart communication.
Mr. Bergendahl said the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities has organized the Happy Chinese New Year Celebration for more than 10 consecutive years. The Museum takes pride in the fact that these festival activities have opened a window for Swedish people to know more about China and the Chinese culture. He thanked the Chinese Embassy, China Cultural Center and overseas Chinese in Sweden for their support. The Museum will continue to actively study and promote Chinese culture and contribute to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
A Yangko dance team from Shandong Province of China gave a wonderful performance, overseas Chinese Associations in Sweden performed dances with Han and Tibetan characteristics, and young people from both China and Sweden performed the Dragon and Lion dance, winning rapturous applause from the audience. Inside the Museum, artists from the two countries jointly demonstrated Chinese cultural treasures such as Chinese papercut art, calligraphy and the tea ceremony. A large number of visitors gathered both inside and outside of the Museum, saying “happy new year” in Chinese to express their best wishes to each other.
