Red paper lanterns covered the campus of Indonesian Christian University (UKI) in eastern Jakarta in honor of the school's first Chinese Culture Festival, which kicked off Tuesday.

The two-day event showcased traditional Chinese culture including tea ceremonies, Chinese calligraphy, dumpling making, dragon dances, and martial arts.

"This event shows our diversity and strengthens our community ties," Liliana, who studies Chinese at UKI, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the opening ceremonies. She added that since the restoration of diplomatic ties between China and Indonesia, Chinese is being used more widely in business.

Since 2005, when Indonesia and China declared themselves as strategic partners, there has been significant improvement in the bilateral relations between the two countries. The use of Chinese in business has spread since the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in early 2010, Liliana said.

Soegihartono, head of UKI's Chinese department and one of the event's organizers, said the festival will be held annually to improve students' understanding of Chinese culture.

He also explained that the school has signed a cooperation agreement with China's Fujian Normal University.

Xinhua