SHENYANG: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Thursday inspected Shenyang, capital city of Northeast China’s Liaoning province.
Xi made the trip shortly before Spring Festival, the most important holiday for the Chinese people, which falls on Jan 29 this year.
Xi visited a food market and a residential community in Shenyang, where he learned about the supply of goods during the holiday season and measures in place to meet residents’ daily needs and optimize public services, as well as details of progress made in improving people’s life.
For more than a decade, Xi, as the Party and the state’s top leader, has made it a tradition to spend time with ordinary people ahead of Spring Festival. Earlier, The Chang’an Lantern Festival kicked off on Wednesday in three major popular sites of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, and will run until March 16.
The lighting ceremony took place simultaneously at three sightseeing spots: the Daming Palace National Heritage Park, the Xi’an City Wall and the Datang Furong Garden.
“Tonight, ahead of Chinese New Year, I visited the Xi’an City Wall and coincidentally witnessed its impressive lighting.
The entire lantern exhibition is exquisitely crafted, bringing ancient artworks to life and allowing history to rejuvenate on a modern stage,” said a tourist surnamed Liao from Zhengzhou, Henan.
This year’s lantern festival at the City Wall featured designs inspired by 38 national treasure-level cultural relics, bringing these historical artifacts to life in a stunning display. Additionally, cities such as Cairo, Rome and Athens collaborated to illuminate their landmarks as part of the celebration.
During the ceremony, Greek Ambassador to China Evgenios Kalpyris sent a video message to celebrate the new year. Staff from the Chinese embassies in Egypt, Italy and Greece, along with many international friends, also shared their best wishes for the lantern festival through video messages.
The Chang’an Lantern Festival has inherited the legacy of the ancient Chinese Lantern Festival, which dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
