ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Nigerian Chinese community holds carnival ‘Year of Rabbit’ celebrations
Published: Jan 15, 2023 10:21 PM
This photo taken on Dec. 21, 2022 show a train of a light rail project running during a completion ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria. Nigeria's southwestern state of Lagos on Wednesday marked the completion of the first phase of a 27-km electric-powered light rail project.(Photo: Xinhua)

This photo taken on Dec. 21, 2022 show a train of a light rail project running during a completion ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria. Nigeria's southwestern state of Lagos on Wednesday marked the completion of the first phase of a 27-km electric-powered light rail project.(Photo: Xinhua)

An aroma of Chinese foods wafted through the air as people gathered in a festive spirit. With the Year of the Rabbit right around the corner, Nigeria's Chinese community held a carnival celebration in Abuja on Saturday.

The observance of the Chinese Lunar New Year is particularly relevant for local Chinese, who wish to maintain tradition and share their culture with their Nigerian neighbors and friends.

Under branded pop-up canopies at the China Cultural Center in Abuja, several tables were laden with Chinese cuisines, such as dumplings, noodles and rice cakes. Revelers moved in droves to taste the savory foods on display.

"It is good to experience China in Nigeria and for us to get to know their culture, their food, and what they represent," Maryjude Ayodele, a businesswoman, told Xinhua.

Displaying a white paper on which her name had been written with Chinese characters under one pop-up canopy, Ayodele praised the level of "Nigeria-China cultural exchange."

The gathering was one of the events hosted by the Chinese embassy to celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, which falls on January 22.

The celebration reached its climax with a dragon dance. The long, sinuous dragon twisted and turned through a long red carpet, mesmerizing onlookers with its graceful movements. The dragon, made of colorful silk and paper, was carried by a group of Nigerian dancers who moved to the beat of drums and cymbals.

The joyous celebration was spiced up by local troupes and school art groups who performed various Nigerian dances in addition to Chinese flute performances and dances.

Cui Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, emphasized that people-to-people exchanges between the two countries had bridged cultural differences and fostered a sense of community and harmony.

The celebration would help the Chinese community here mark the upcoming Spring Festival and offer an opportunity for Nigerian people to understand Chinese culture, Cui told Xinhua.

Xinhua