New York: The Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations hosted a Lunar New Year celebration on Friday night at the UN headquarters in New York. Over 400 guests, including senior UN officials and representatives of more than 100 countries, attended.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Miguel Angel Moratinos, UN under-secretary-general and high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, delivered Lunar New Year wishes in Chinese, “Chunjie Kuaile (Happy Spring Festival),” in the lobby of the main building at UN headquarters. He noted that the Lunar New Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake, is associated with wisdom, caution, and strategy, signifying transformation and growth. “With the numerous challenges the world is facing, the spirit embodied by the Lunar New Year offers us a beacon of hope and positivity,” Moratinos added.
Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, extended his best wishes for peace, prosperity, and harmony for the upcoming New Year. He remarked that the festival has transcended borders and become a global celebration enjoyed by various communities worldwide. In 2023, the Lunar New Year was officially included in the UN holiday calendar as a floating holiday.
The Spring Festival, marking the start of the Lunar New Year, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. Fu highlighted that as people commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations this year, China remains committed to collaborating with the international community to ensure a peaceful, prosperous, and harmonious future for all.
The celebration featured a lion dance, drumming, and guqin performances. A team from the Prince Kung’s Palace Museum of Beijing presented interactive exhibitions of Chinese folk art, including calligraphy, knotting, paper-cutting, lacquered fans, and herbal sachet. The event concluded with the lion-awakening ceremony, where Fu and Moratinos together dotted the lion’s eyes with paint.