Chinese Herald Topic of the week
Author: Yang Wenkai
The Spring Festival is the oldest and most important traditional festival in China. The Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon is celebrated and culminates with the arrival of Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year. Not long ago, the Spring Festival was designated as a United Nations holiday, and the "Year of China" was upgraded to the "Year of the World". The Spring Festival is a "Chinese moment" for the reunion of thousands of families, and it has increasingly become an "international time" for the whole world to celebrate.
On 22 December 2023, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus recognizing the significance of the Lunar New Year and designating it as a United Nations holiday. As pointed out by the representative of China, the Spring Festival, as a traditional Chinese folk festival, is not only a day for family reunion, farewell to the old and welcome the new, but also carries the concepts of Chinese civilization such as peace, harmony and harmony, and also carries the common values of all mankind, such as family harmony, social tolerance, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The Spring Festival has officially become a United Nations holiday, which fully demonstrates the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, will effectively promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations in the world, and actively reflect the cultural values of diversity and inclusiveness advocated by the United Nations.
With the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, the Lunar New Year officially became the eighth floating holiday of the United Nations. United Nations agencies at United Nations Headquarters and other duty stations will avoid meeting on this day of the year. Up to now, the Spring Festival cultural activities have entered more than 200 countries and regions, nearly 20 countries have designated the Spring Festival as a legal holiday, and about 1/5 of the world's population celebrates the Spring Festival in different forms.
Dragons soar all over the world, and spring arrives in the world. The Splendid Year of China attracts dignitaries from various countries and heads of international organizations to congratulate the New Year of the Dragon and extend New Year wishes to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese around the world.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a video message, wishing Chinese people around the world good health, happiness and prosperity in the Year of the Dragon. Guterres said that the dragon symbolizes vitality, wisdom, protection and good luck, which are exactly the qualities we need to meet today's global challenges.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his blessings in Chinese on social media. He said he wished friends around the world who celebrate the Lunar New Year a happy New Year, good health and all the best. The Year of the Dragon is a symbol of innovation and creativity, and that's exactly what we've prepared in France!
Thai Prime Minister Saitha delivered a congratulatory message, saying: The Lunar New Year is the most important festival for Chinese and Chinese people in Thailand. I wish Thailand and China a smooth and prosperous trade and investment, and hope that the mutual visa exemption policy between the two countries will promote more convenient and efficient exchanges between the two countries. Thailand very much welcomes friends from China, and hopes that the friendship between the two countries can be further strengthened, and "Thailand and China are like brothers and like a family."
Among the Spring Festival congratulations of many national leaders, the Japanese prime minister is naturally indispensable. On February 8, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida released the 2024 New Year message through the official residence website, extending New Year's greetings to the overseas Chinese living and working in Japan and everyone around the world who are celebrating the Spring Festival. The Japanese Prime Minister is one of the initiators of the Chinese New Year celebrations by world leaders, and Prime Minister Kishida continues this tradition.
Since 2008, it has become a common practice for Japanese prime ministers to deliver Chinese New Year greetings. Beginning with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in 2008, Taro Aso, Yukio Hatoyama, Naoto Suga, Yoshihiko Noda, Shinzo Abe, and Yoshihide Suga have all sent Spring Festival greetings to the Chinese Herald. Since taking office in 2022, Fumio Kishida has also published a New Year message on the website of the Prime Minister's Office three times in a row. In the Spring Festival of 2024, it is the 8th sitting prime minister of Japan and the 17th time to extend Spring Festival greetings to overseas Chinese. Prime Minister Kishida congratulated the Spring Festival and conveyed positive intentions for the establishment of stable Japan-China relations, and also expressed friendship and goodwill to the overseas Chinese in Japan, which further contributed to the revival and new style of the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon.
Prime Minister Kishida said in his message for the Spring Festival: I would like to extend New Year's greetings to the overseas Chinese living and working in Japan and all friends around the world who are celebrating the Spring Festival. In the face of the turbulent changes in the international situation, Japan is willing to join hands with other countries in the world to overcome the difficulties with the indomitable spirit and courage of the dragon. May in this year, the blessing dragon welcomes auspiciousness, and good luck comes. I wish you a happy Chinese New Year and an auspicious New Year.
On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, February 9, Tokyo Tower, a landmark building in Tokyo, was lit up in Chinese red for the sixth time, and the flood of "Chinese red, celebrating the new year" from all over the world was fused. The words "Blessing the Year of the Dragon" are displayed on the big screen of Tokyo Tower, and 2024 yellow balloons, symbolizing happiness, are lifted into the sky at the same time to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival of the Lunar Year of the Dragon.
At the light-lighting ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao sent three blessings: First, he wished the motherland more prosperity, second, he wished Sino-Japanese relations to improve and develop, and third, he wished overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese in Japan more health and happiness. I wish the "China Red" of Tokyo Tower can bring warmth and strength to everyone, and I wish all my compatriots and friends a smoother development and happiness and health in the new year.
Natsuo Yamaguchi, a representative of Japan's Komeito Party, attended the lighting ceremony. He said that the fame of "Tokyo Tower Lights Up China Red" is expanding year by year, and he looks forward to further expanding exchanges between the people of the two countries and holding more such meaningful activities. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China Chen Xu, and Deputy Governor of Tokyo Tsukamura Ryoji sent special speeches and blessings.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in his congratulatory message that today is the Chinese Chinese New Year's Eve, and Tokyo Tower, the symbol of the Japanese capital, is lit up with auspicious and festive "Chinese red" to convey New Year's wishes from Japan. We look forward to further deepening exchanges between the two peoples and contributing to the vigorous development of Japan-China relations. Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda congratulated Tokyo Tower on lighting up the "China Red" and looked forward to the cooperation and development of the two peoples in the Year of the Dragon.
"Tokyo Tower Lights Up China Red" has been held for six consecutive years, conveying New Year's blessings, peace and hope. Before and after the Spring Festival, the Nagoya Spring Festival, the Osaka Spring Festival, and the Tokyo Ueno Panda Festival were held one after another, and the Spring Festival activities in the three major Chinatowns of Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki were in full swing, and the fireworks of the traditional Spring Festival were also conveyed to the Japanese people.
In the past year, the world has not been at peace, and mankind is facing serious challenges and threats. The world loves the Chinese New Year, which carries the hope and pursuit of peace, reunion, harmony and tranquility. At the beginning of the renewal, Vientiane is renewed, and China and the world meet in the "Spring Festival moment" of the Year of the Dragon, and the world perceives a credible, lovely and respectable image of China. In the joy and harmony conveyed by "China Red", the world welcomes and embraces the vitality, vitality and hope of spring, and moves forward hand in hand to look forward to a better future.