Chinese community in Oman marks spring festival

MUSCAT: The Chinese community in Oman, led by the Chinese Embassy in Oman, held a Spring Festival garden reception at the Diplomatic Club in Muscat on Sunday to mark the arrival of spring and the Chinese New Year.
Over 500 guests, including ministerial and diplomatic representatives, gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Horse.
In his address, Ambassador Lyu Jian extended festive greetings to the guests and highlighted the significance of 'Harmony' during the Spring Festival. He explained that 'Harmony' symbolises the Chinese people's wishes for family harmony, national prosperity, harmonious relations between countries, and global peace and development.
Ambassador Lyu Jian praised the progress made in the Oman-China strategic partnership over the past year. He emphasised the deepening of political mutual trust under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The implementation of outcomes from the first China-Arab States Summit, China-GCC Summit, and the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum is progressing comprehensively, with strong momentum in cooperation across energy and minerals, economy and trade, investment, new energy, technological innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.
The reception venue was decorated with traditional festive elements such as red lanterns, Chinese knots and 'Fu' characters. Attendees of all ages had the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese culture by making dumplings, practicing calligraphy, creating paper-cuts, and watching tea ceremonies and martial arts performances.
A photo exhibition showcasing Xinjiang's achievements highlighted the region's accomplishments in multi-ethnic harmony, clean energy development, its role as a core area of the Belt and Road initiative, and ecological projects like desertification control. The Poplar Art Troupe from Xinjiang performed wonderful song and dance numbers, allowing guests to appreciate the vibrant development and diverse cultural charm of China's Xinjiang.