LUSAKA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Zambia on Sunday held the 2025 Zambia-Chinese Spring Festival Temple Fair with a display of Chinese culture in celebration of the upcoming Spring Festival, which marks the first day of the lunar calendar.

The ceremony, organized in cooperation with the Zambia Chinese Association, was held at the Levy Shopping Mall in Lusaka, the country's capital, and attracted scores of both Chinese people and local people, officials from the Chinese embassy and the Zambian government, and representatives of Chinese enterprises operating in Zambia.

The celebration featured various Chinese cultures, including a kung fu performance. Chinese food was also on display, while Chinese companies took advantage of the ceremony to showcase their products and services.

China's Spring Festival falls on Jan. 29 this year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. In December last year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In his remarks, Han Jing, Chinese ambassador to Zambia, said the ceremony has been a brand-name event for Chinese compatriots in Zambia to gather together to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

He said 2025 is the year of the snake, which symbolizes power, wealth, and longevity in traditional Chinese culture, which will also be key in the bilateral relations between China and Zambia.

"The Spring Festival is a universally recognized cultural symbol with the longest history, richest content, and the widest influence in China. It is enriched with the Chinese people's blessings for a better life and our love for family and the country," Han said.

According to him, the embassy will continue to implement the philosophy of people-centered development and the principle of diplomacy for the people.

The year 2024 witnessed steady progress in China's economic development, fruitful achievements in scientific and technological innovation, and a faster forming process of new productive forces, the ambassador added.

Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, said the event was not only an event for the Chinese community in Zambia but also a great platform for cultural exchanges between the two peoples.

Haimbe, who sent best wishes to China in the new year, said the comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries achieved bountiful fruits and brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries last year. "Zambia and China have maintained close cooperation and joined hands to promote modernization and build a community of shared future."

Zambia expects more tourists, investment, and technology transfer from China this year, he said, adding that Zambia is committed to adhering to the one-China policy and safeguarding the foundation of mutual political trust.

"We are ready to work with the Chinese embassy and the Chinese community to create a conducive business environment and promote bilateral cooperation in all dimensions," the minister said. Enditem

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