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Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, last Saturday, celebrated the 2019 Chinese New Year Temple Fair in Abuja amidst fanfare. The event which was organised by the Chinese Cultural Center, Abuja, held amidst glamour and glitz as it witnessed Chinese and local cultural performances, including varieties of Chinese cuisine.
Some of the activities lined up by the Center that made the event worth the while included the Chinese Lion Dance performed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Arts and Culture Secretariat Cultural Troupe; the Chinese Tibetan Group Dance by Chinese ladies from the Embassy of China; Chinese Group Song, Gongxi Gongxi, by Students of China Cultural Center; and Pipa Solo Juanzhulian, a mixture of Chinese tunes and the popular R&B song, Despacito, perfomed by a Chinese musical artist, Miss Shang Bingqing, using Pipa Chinese traditional musical instrument.
There was also lucky draw where participants won several gifts such as Bluetooth Stereo Machine (eight pieces), Power Banks (24 pieces); 32 Inches Television (two pieces); 43 Inches Television (two pieces); and the overall rifle draw of 55 Inches Television won by Abigail Nnaji. Apart from the presence of 400 school children drawn from various schools around the FCT, there were also 28 different Chinese kitchens that came with an assortment of Chinese foods and participants were allowed to taste all of them.
Dignitaries present at the event were the Wife of the former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Mrs Ifunaya Kalu; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe, representing the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe.
Others included the Acting Director-General of the Centre for Black Arts and African Civilization (CBAAC), Mrs Ndidi Aimienwawu; Director of FCT Arts and Culture, Social Secretariat, Mr Shittu Anthony Awi; the Zonal Director, National Gallery of Arts, Mrs Ngozi Uya; the President of China Alumni Association, Suleiman Ibrahim, members of the diplomatic corps and friends of China.
Speaking with Daily Sun, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian, said the significance of the event was cultural interaction, people-to-people exchange, explaining that the Spring Festival marked the start of the New Year in China and it is the most traditional festival for the Chinese.
Ambassador Zhou said: “Nigeria has always been a home away from home for the Chinese and today again, you see that we Chinese are very, very much at home. This is a family reunion for the Chinese community amongst themselves and for the Chinese and their Nigerian friends.”
Ambassador Zhou further said that there is the presence of forty to fifty thousand Chinese nationals in Nigeria, disclosing that China is very much interested in Nigerian culture because it is very rich and unique.
According to Ambassador Zhou, “China and Nigeria both enjoy ancient cultures. It is very unique. So, as we can see, it is very important for people of different countries to appreciate each other’s culture, respect each other’s culture and on this basis, good bilateral relations can enjoy the popular support of both.”
Also speaking, Runsewe who doubles as the President of the World Crafts Council, African Region, said the Chinese have been at the forefront of cultural exchange with Nigeria, recalling the age-long relationship between China and Nigeria in the area of cultural exchange.
Runsewe said: “This is an expression of saying that Nigeria and China have some things in common to exchange. Our cultural group is sending a message to the Chinese people and the Chinese people are sending back to us. So, it is a fantastic approach to developmental cultural exchange of the two different countries.”
For Gekpe, the creative industry cannot be overlooked since it is a sector that engages, most importantly, the youths, and contribute to the economy of each country and it is a way of empowering the youths.
Gekpe said: “It is not only dance that you will see here, there are so many things that will be showcased here. It is a way of empowering our people, empowering the women and the youths. So, it is going to really contribute to the economy of both countries because as these things are showcased, people will buy and you are making money and it is going to add to the GDP of both countries.”
