Chinese students perform on stage in Kiev, Ukraine, Jan. 18, 2019. Celebrations for China's upcoming Spring Festival kicked off in Ukraine with a concert staged by Chinese and Ukrainian students on Friday, providing attendees a vivid glimpse of the Asian country's rich culture and traditions. (Xinhua/Sergey)
KIEV, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Celebrations for China's upcoming Spring Festival kicked off in Ukraine with a concert staged by Chinese and Ukrainian students on Friday, providing attendees a vivid glimpse of the Asian country's rich culture and traditions.
Organized by the Union of Chinese students in Ukraine and the Creative ensemble of Chinese students, the event is designed to strengthen cultural exchanges between young people from both countries.
The concert, which is held for a second straight year in Borys Grynchenko Kiev University, saw 600 people enjoy the show.
Addressing the event, Victor Ognevyuk, the university's rector, said the celebrations of the Spring Festival have become a tradition at his school.
"Last year, we celebrated Chinese New Year in this hall and the year was successful and fruitful for the development of Ukraine-China relations and for the cooperation of our university with our Chinese partners," Ognevyuk said.
For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei said that cultural activities help Chinese students feel more comfortable while studying abroad.
"About 5,000 students from China study in Ukraine," Du said. "This is a fairly significant group of the Chinese diaspora in Ukraine."
During the concert, Chinese and Ukrainian students staged 12 performances. Among the highlights of the concert were traditional Chinese folk songs and popular modern songs, including those dedicated to the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up.
Daria Fedorets, a 17-year-old student at Kiev Polytechnic Institute said she was amazed by the traditions of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
"I was invited by a classmate from China. It's interesting to get a glimpse at Chinese culture and see in general how it all happens," Fedorets said.
Meanwhile, another spectator, Valeriya Kovriga, a Chinese-language student at Kiev National Linguistic University, said she's well-versed in Chinese traditions surrounding the New Year.
"I know an interesting tradition -- during the Spring Festival, people in China eat dumplings," Kovriga said, adding that the Spring Festival concert helped her learn more about the Chinese culture.
The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 5 this year.
