Chinese Art Festival in Uzbekstan

A Chinese art festival for Uzbek students studying Chinese language was held in Tashkent， capital of Uzbekistan， on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Uzbekistan on January 17.

Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jiang Yan said in the opening remarks of the festival that over 28 years China-Uzbekistan relations have stood the test of time and have achieved fruitful results in all areas.

“These brilliant achievements would not have been possible without the personal attention and stimulation of the leaders of both countries，” Jiang said.

She also expressed her appreciation for the people who are involved in strengthening the bilateral friendship.

“Learning Chinese opens a window into a completely different world and helps you become familiar with China，” she noted.

Jiang said the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative（BRI） has received “immediate and active support” of Uzbekistan， adding that “promoting the joint building of the BRI will certainly provide you with a broader field for the realization of your dreams.”

Gulchekhra Rikhsieva， rector at the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies， pointed out，“Todays festival is a great opportunity for young Uzbeks to learn Chinese.”

Chinese New Year Celebration in Serbia

The celebration for the Chinese New Year in Serbia began on January 17 with a Chinese arts and handicrafts bazaar， and a classical music performance.

The New Year Bazaar was inaugurated at Belgrades Kalemegdan park-fortress by Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo， Serbian Minister of Trade， Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic， and Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Goran Vesic.

Ljajic said that the festivities in Serbia would last for the whole upcoming month， both in Belgrade and Novi Sad， a city in northern Serbia.

Chen said that the New Year bazaar is a traditional part of the Spring Festival， and it is the first time that such a Chinese New Year bazaar was held in Serbia.

“Besides the fair and the new year concert， on January 24 we will gather again here at Kalemegdan to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the Festival of Lights and the fireworks，” she said.

During the following three days， the visitors of the Kalemegdan park-fortress in the city center saw Yangjiabu New Year paintings， Chinese knots from Jinan， lanternmaking techniques， sugar painting as well as trying some of Shandongs culinary delicacies such as noodles.

Later in the evening， at Sava Centre， the China Philharmonic Orchestra presented the Chinese New Year concert.

In front of thousands of visitors， the orchestra heated up the festive atmosphere by playing various Chinese and European classical pieces.

Chinese Folk Music Charms Audience in Washington

A well-designed concert featuring Chinese folk music charmed an audience of over 2，000 people at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on January 22.

The performance is seen as a cornerstone event of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Washington.

The show， which ran for around 80 minutes， presented by the visiting Shanghai Chinese Orchestra， consisted of eight compositions of Chinese music with a contemporary style.

“I thought its very incredible， a very moving combination of modern and traditional music，” said Katrina Castner， a spectator who works in the U.S. government， after the show.

Admitting that she was not familiar with all the instruments， Castner said she could feel the Chinese history hidden behind the music.

The compositions included the Spirit of Chinese Calligraphy， Dancing Phoenix， and Whispers of Wind and Birds， an atmospheric piece composed by the renowned composer Tan Dun， which spans the boundaries of classical music and multimedia performance.

“Wed like to present a symphonic poem demonstrating the profound Chinese culture，” said Muhai Tang， the conductor of the performance.

Chinese Acrobatic Show Well Received in Houston

Hundreds of Americans marveled at an acrobatic performance on February 22 in Houston， the fourth largest city in the United States.

Presented by The Peking Acrobats， the show featured award-winning programs. The performance received cheers and acclamation from the audience.

According to head of the acrobatic troupe Li Yufei， there are around 20 artists in the troupe which put on 15 performances in Houston this time. They have been performing in various cities in the United States since last November.

The Houston show was put on by the Society for the Performing Arts （SPA）， a nonprofit organization presenting internationally acclaimed artists from the entire performing arts spectrum.

General Manager of the SPA Lee Strickland said that the organization has brought several Chinese art performing groups to Houston over the past 20 years and this was the fourth time that The Peking Acrobats had performed here.

“Especially at a time like this， its best to celebrate the Chinese people and their arts that they provide. The richness of their culture should be celebrated， not feared，” he said.

Since its founding in 1986， the Peking Acrobats have achieved international acclaim， dazzling audiences around the world.