19 Jan 2014

Activities such as Chinese New Year Fun Fair could further enhance cultural exchanges and better communications between the peoples of Botswana and China, Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.

Speaking at the event held in Gaborone January 18, Masisi also said for the past 14 years, different local Chinese communities have donated around P3 million to local charity organisations, the SOS children’s village, ChildLine Botswana, Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) and Miss Botswana contestants, among others. Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Zheng Zhuqiang said the Chinese New Year is China’s first and most important traditional festival in a year.

 He said every year when winter is about to end and spring is coming; the Chinese always grandly celebrate the Spring Festival which contains a long history and rich cultural connotations. According to Chinese Lunar and Zodiac Calendar, 2014 is the Year of the Horse, which Zheng said in Chinese culture, the horse is a symbol of nobility, class, speed and perseverance, while a horse year is considered a fortunate and successful year that brings luck and good things.

The Ambassador further said the Fun Fair was not only a celebration for the New Year by Chinese people, but also a platform for Batswana people to feel the Chinese culture, to know about China and to share the joy of Chinese New Year.

Meanwhile, the Chinese New Year Fun Fair is one of the traditional ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year also known as the Spring Festival. It is a show of traditional Chinese culture and is deeply related to religious activities in ancient times and used to be held near religious temples.

The Fun Fair has nowadays become a way for people going out to have fun together, displaying various Chinese food, small traditional commodities and holding entertainment events, as it was the case over the weekend. ENDS