KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy followed the popular Malaysian tradition in hosting an Open House here on Tuesday for the Eid al-Fitr festival.
Some 600 guests, including cabinet ministers and senior officials were invited for the celebration and enjoyed a variety of halal Chinese food and traditional local Malay delicacies. They also enjoyed traditional Chinese and Malay performances including the face-changing performance in the style of the famous Sichuan Opera.
In his speech to guests, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian expressed his appreciation for the Open House concept and for the openness and togetherness Malaysians showed as they celebrated their festivals.
Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof, speaker of the the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, thanked the embassy for hosting the event as it demonstrated China's appreciation of the Malaysian culture and tradition.
Relations between Malaysia and China date back hundreds of years, and China will remain an important partner of Malaysia in its further development, he said.
The Open House concept means that guests and even strangers can visit the homes of those celebrating during the holiday, to wish them well and enjoy the feast prepared by the hosts with the aim of fostering closer inter-communal ties. It is widely practiced in Malaysia.
