Event dedicated to Chinese New Year held at Chisinau-based library

Chisinau, 19 January /MOLDPRES/ - The Ion Creanga National Library for Children, in partnership with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Confucius Institute of the Free International University of Moldova (ULIM), today organized a festivity dedicated to the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival.   

Attending the event were China’s Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Moldova Yan Wenbin, the director of the Confucius Institute, Wang Yifeng, pupils, teachers.   

In his greeting message, Ambassador Yan Wenbin said that China’s Embassy had been organized, along with the Ion Creanga National Library for Children, the marking of the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival for 15 years already.     

”The Spring Festival is the most important traditional holiday of the Chinese people, which announces the coming of the spring, just as there is Martisor in Moldova, symbolizing the happiness and hope. I hope that the today’s activities will get these nice children present at the event closer to China, to know China and become witnesses and continuers of the friendship between our countries. China’s Embassy in Moldova will support and promote, as always, diverse activities of cultural exchange and will play an active role in the promotion of mutual understanding between the two nations. The 2023 year is the Year of the Rabbit. In the Chinese culture, the rabbit is a symbol of ‘’charm’’, ‘’intelligence,’’ being an ‘’auspicious’’ sign. I wish everybody good health and I hope that the children will be intelligent and clever just as the rabbit,’’ the Chinese diplomat said.        

For her part, the institution’s director, Eugenia Bejan, said the library   benefited from donations of books on behalf of China’s Embassy. ‘’We have a quite rich collection of belles letters books and manuals in the   Chinese language and we are grateful to the Chinese diplomats for this,’’ Bejan stressed.      

Pupils from various education institutions, among whom also members   of the Spring Voices Choir, presented an artistic schedule in the Chinese language. The schedule included also entertaining games, creation workshops in the art of cutting paper, the ceremony of making  tea at the Chinese people, inauguration of exhibitions of books and photos about China, Chinese workmanship objects and other surprises for the participants.  

The 2023 Chinese New Year starts on 22 January, when the new moon reaches the Aquarius sign of the zodiac, and ends on 10 February 2024, when the Wood Dragon Year will begin.