Spring Festival celebrations kick off in Ukraine with promotion of Chinese culture

About 250 guests attended this ceremonial reception, including Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei, chief executive officers of Chinese and Ukrainian companies, and Ukrainian government officials.

Olga Trofimtseva, Ukraine's Deputy Agriculture Minister, said that for her the Spring Festival means the opportunity to celebrate the Lunar New Year, one of her favorite holidays, for the second time.

Trofimtseva described the event organized by the CCA as a good opportunity to promote understanding between the people of China and Ukraine, as well as to boost business ties between the two countries.

"It is a great chance to discuss partnership in an informal atmosphere, and to make an update on our joint projects and cooperation. I just had several brief talks with our partners and we have outlined the next steps for implementing joint projects," Trofimtseva told Xinhua.

Other guests of the event also expressed their delight with the ceremonial reception and their admiration for the charm of Chinese culture.

Marina Skrypnik, an adviser to Ukraine's deputy infrastructure minister, said that she, like many Ukrainians, knows about the Lunar New Year, but have not had an opportunity before to celebrate it.

"I am participating for the first time in such an event. I really like the program and the approach. Everything is very interesting and well-organized. This event will undoubtedly have a positive impact on relations between Ukraine and China," Skrypnik told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Tkachuk, a senior employee at the Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry, said he had learned a lot about the Spring Festival traditions and became inspired to visit China during the Lunar New Year holiday.

"I really enjoyed the event! It is really difficult to say which performance I liked most. Everything was wonderful and great. I would like to visit China for the Chinese New Year celebrations," said Tkachuk.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 16 this year.

Before that time, the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and other cities in the country will host cultural events to celebrate the holiday.

Major celebrations will be held in Ukraine's western city of Lviv from Feb. 14 to Feb. 21, featuring Chinese traditional singing, dancing, arts and crafts, kung fu workshops and Chinese food fair in the center of the city.