WELLINGTON, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Happy Chinese New Year Festival event has attracted tens of thousands of residents from various parts of New Zealand to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Christchurch.
The event on Friday, featuring a grand art and cultural show, food stalls and live music, was the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the South Island.
The Happy Chinese New Year Festival has become an annual highlight in Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand's South Island, Chinese Consul General in Christchurch He Ying said at the beginning of the event.
"As we celebrate the Year of the Snake, we can expect the year filled with hope and opportunity," said the consul general, adding that China and New Zealand will join hands to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and further benefit the two peoples in the new year.
She also took this opportunity to invite Kiwis to visit China, enjoying a visa-free stay of up to 30 days -- the latest policy update from the Chinese government announced on Dec. 17.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the event was filled with rich tradition and cultural significance, a time of new hope and promise of new beginnings as the Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom, creativity, transformation and rebirth.
While originated from China, the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, was inscribed onto UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024, reflecting its growing popularity as a global phenomenon when people across the world celebrate together in a spirit of shared joy and harmonious coexistence, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said in a video speech presented at the event.
Zhong Weiren, one of the Happy Chinese New Year Festival organizers, said the signature event, hosted by local Chinese communities, has been a long-cherished tradition for various ethnic communities in New Zealand.
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