Spring Festival gala held in Ukrainian capital

A grand gala named "Joyful Spring Festival" dedicated to the Chinese Lunar New Year was held in Kiev on Jan 28, attracting an audience of about 600 people.

Staged at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the concert featured songs of different Chinese ethnic groups, world-famous opera pieces and Ukrainian songs performed by the chorus of China National Opera House.

Chinese artists charmed the Ukrainian public with the 18th century Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, the masterpiece Road to Heaven that highlights the beauty of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, and the song Alishan girl of Gaoshan ethnic group.

Besides, they performed arias from Western operas Carmen, La Traviata and Turandot.

The Ukrainian audience was particularly impressed by performance of a Ukrainian New Year song Schedryk by the Chinese artists.

The concert, organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine, was attended by Chinese people living in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian cultural figures and government representatives.

Addressing the event, Ukraine's First Deputy Culture Minister Svitlana Fomenko said the Lunar New Year gala, which is held in Ukraine for the second time, is another evidence of flourishing cultural ties between China and Ukraine.

"The cultural cooperation between our countries is developing very dynamically," Fomenko said.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei said that the event will further promote the cultural exchanges between China and Ukraine.

"I hope that today's gala will open the curtain for the new achievements in the cultural sphere between our two countries in the new year," Du said.

As part of the event, a photo exhibition was held showing the Spring Festival celebrations in different countries on the five continents.

The exhibition featured some 40 exhibits installed in the central hall of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, which was decorated with red lanterns and other Spring Festival symbols.

"I am pleased to visit this big celebration. It is great that the Philharmonic in Kiev is so beautifully decorated. And I like this great exhibition," said Ukrainian journalist Margaryta Yakovleva.

Meanwhile, Maria Salamin, a musician at the National Bandurist Choir of Ukraine, said she was impressed by the concert performed by the Chinese artists.

"This is a totally different culture and quite different music...I really enjoyed it, especially the songs of the national minorities that have been performed today. They are simply fantastic," Salamin said.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb 5 this year.