A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday extended warm congratulations on the inclusion of the Spring Festival in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, expressing hopes that the festival will become a moment of joyfulness shared by all.
Spokesperson Lin Jian made these remarks following UNESCO’s announcement on Wednesday that the Spring Festival, encompassing the social practices of the Chinese people in celebrating the traditional new year, has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Highlighting the significance of the festival, Lin noted, “The Spring Festival is the oldest and most important traditional festival in Chinese culture. It is a time for family reunions and ushering in the new year.”
“We have many Spring Festival traditions, such as writing the character ‘fu,’ which means good fortune, hanging Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings, and enjoying dragon and lion dance performances, which I believe many of you are familiar with,” Lin shared.
The spokesperson emphasized that the Spring Festival embodies peace, amity, and harmony—values cherished by the Chinese nation and civilization—making it a festival meaningful for China and enjoyable for the world.
According to Lin, the festival is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and is celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity. Last year, the 78th UN General Assembly decided to list the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday.
With the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake approaching in six weeks, Lin extended an invitation to friends worldwide to experience the rich and wonderful culture of the Spring Festival.
“We very much hope that the festival’s cultural message will contribute to a world with fewer conflicts, harmony among civilizations, and amity among peoples of the world. We hope the Spring Festival will be a moment of joyfulness shared by all,” Lin said.
Cover photo: More than a month before the Spring Festival, a local wholesale market in Shenyang, northeastern China, begins to warm up, December 4, 2024. /CFP
Reference(s):
China hopes Spring Festival will be moment of joyfulness shared by all
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