Event held in Lahore to mark Chinese New Year

LAHORE – An event was held at Defence Raya Golf & Country Club in the provincial capital on Saturday to mark Chinese New Year celebrations. 

A number of Pakistani and Chinese dignitaries attended the event hosted by the Lahore Overseas Chinese Foundation and the Understanding China Forum. 

The event was hosted by the Lahore Overseas Chinese Association (LOCA) in the city's Defence Raya Golf and Country Club and attended by Chinese Consul General Lahore, Zhao Shiren, President (LOCA) Luo Jianxue,  Mr. Zafar Mehmood, Founder of Understanding China Forum (UCF), Editor in Chief Daily Pakistan, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Institute of International Relations and Media Research (IIRMR) President Yasir Habib Khan, Chinese officials and local citizens.   

The bond of friendship between Pakistan and China will grow further and expand into all domains of life. These views were expressed by Mr. Zhao Shiren, Chinese Consul General Lahore, on Saturday during a grand ceremony held in connection with celebrations of the Chinese Spring Festival 2023.

Zhao Shiren said the year 2023 would be a year of Rabbit as per the Chinese Lunar calendar. He said and added the cultural bonds existing between the two nations are strong enough to support our everlasting friendship.

The Consul General informed the cultural office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the China Cultural Center in Pakistan that would comprehensively utilize all the resources to showcase Chinese history, culture and tourism and will continue to make relentless efforts for a new chapter of China-Pakistan friendship.

Commenting on the celebration, he said that celebrations of New Year 2023 or Spring Festival (Chun Jie) in Lahore have brought about a friendly ecosystem in which Chinese and Pakistanis flocked, met, communicated and shared pleasantries with one another.  

The year 2023 is of crucial importance to the respective development of the two counties as well as the two nations, and also a milestone for the China-Pakistan relationship, he added.  

He said that with the beginning of the Chinese new year, everything takes on a new look. Looking ahead to a time in 2023, he said he is ready to keep close communication with all strata of society in Lahore as well as Punjab and steer the course for the sustained, sound and steady development of China-Pakistan relations.  

 Luo Jianxue, the LOCA President extended spring festival greetings to all Chinese people and citizens of Lahore saying the Spring festival is auspicious to everyone. He wished Chinese people living in Pakistan healthier and happier lives in the Year of the Rabbit and expressed his hope that Pak-China relations would increase in prosperity and strength. 

He also organized a ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a Chinese online newspaper by LOCA with the coordination of the Daily Pakistan media group.

This year China will be celebrating the 2023 traditional Chinese New Year, generally known as “Chinese Spring Festival” on Sunday, January 22, 2023, and lasting until February 9, 2023. It is one of the most important and biggest festivals in traditional Chinese culture, and one of the longest holidays, lasting up to 17 days.

This year, Chinese New Year will fall on Sunday, January 22, and celebrations will culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 5.

The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, is celebrated by nearly two billion people worldwide. In 2023, Chinese people will say goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Close strategic ties and profound friendship between China and Pakistan are time-tested and resilient. The China-Pakistan friendship is a historic choice of the people of the two sides that serves the interests of the two countries. China gives relations with Pakistan the highest priority in its foreign policy and Pakistan considers relations with China the cornerstone of its foreign policy.

Here are some glimpses from the Chinese New Year event.

Chinese Consul General in Lahore Zhao Shiren

Zafar Mehmood, Founder of the Understanding China Forum

Lou Jianxure, President of the Lahore Overseas Chinese Association