Celebration of Spring festival

Luo Shui Jing Ling of Beijing has written an interesting short article (illustrated with several nice photo of London) in a website (mop.com), giving his impression of 2006 Chinese New Year in London. We thank Luo Shui Jing Ling.

This is a XIANGQI EN BLOG translation:



"Spring festival celebrations in London astonished the Chinese"

For the last several years, enjoying the Chinese New Year in England, as a popular good luck saying have it, it is like the blossoming of the sesame flowers, the celebrations are getting better and better. The more so for this year's festival, almost as popular and exciting as if it is a national event.

This year there are organized hundreds of Spring festival celebrations, with the following new special points.

1. Prime Minister Tony Blair sends best wishes to the Chinese Community; the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw gave receptions on occasion of Spring festival.

2. Active participation of the main stream society. Not only were world class museums like the British Library, but there are also medium and small museums, and theatres, various Foundations, Universities, the community centres and many others, are taking part in the "London China Week" activities. And for the first time, 18 public libraries in London take part in the movement of "Reading in the Year of the Cockerel", to encourage readers to use Chinese or English language to read Chinese works of literature. Primary and secondary schools with enthusiasm teach the children on the customs of Chinese New Year, how to prepare a red packet, make a lantern, and construct a Chinese dragon.

3. In all places exhibiting the Chinese cultural articles and products, there are such a great variety, that the choices are many and multiple.