Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Indian friends,
Namaste!
In a few days, we will celebrate the most important festival in China, the Spring Festival. For Chinese people, the Spring Festival represents reunion, harmony, happiness and hope, and carries the profound connotation of Chinese culture. According to the Chinese zodiac culture, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. Tiger is known as the “king of animals” in China, symbolizing strength, bravery and endeavor. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere wishes to all of you. Wish you a happy, sound and prosperous Year of the Tiger!
This year, the Chinese Embassy in India and Henan Province jointly present this “Happy Chinese New Year” online performance to share the joy of the new year with our Indian friends. As we all know, cultural and people-to-people exchanges have made a mark in the annals of China-India relations, and Henan Province holds a special place in this regard. The White Horse Temple in Luoyang is an early witness of cultural exchanges between our two countries. Longmen Grottoes enjoy similar art feature with the Ajanta Grottoes in India, both are treasures of the two ancient civilizations. Master Xuanzang from Henan traveled long distances to India to collect Buddhist scriptures. His book “Buddhist Records of The Western World” is a classic study of ancient Indian history and culture. India’s Bodhidharma founded the Zen Buddhism in Henan, which had a profound influence on the spread of Buddhism in East Asia.
Henan Province is located in central China. As the origin of the Chinese civilization, it has a long history and outstanding people. In the 5000 years history of Chinese civilization, Henan has been the political, economic and cultural center for more than 3000 years, and more than 20 dynasties established their capitals there. The origin of Chinese civilization, the invention of Chinese characters, the roots of many Chinese surnames, the formation of cities and the establishment of a unified country are all closely related to Henan. Therefore, I sincerely hope that you could know more about Henan and like Henan.
Founded more than 1300 years ago, the Tang Dynasty is an important dynasty of China. During its glorious age, it had enlightened politics and prosperous economy. The people then were relatively well-off and created splendid culture. The level of arts including poetry, calligraphy, sculpture, music, and dance reached one of the peaks in Chinese ancient civilization at that time. The brilliant cultural achievements was the result of its openness and inclusiveness, which still inspires us today.
In the following videos, the artists will present a Tang Dynasty style cultural feast, including stories of the exchanges between China and India through the ages, and excellent programs enjoying great popularity in China. Let’s travel through the tunnel of time and space to feel the magnificent Tang Dynasty with the help of modern technology, and have a taste of the broad and profound Chinese culture. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to relevant agencies and friends of Henan Province for their contribution in producing and promoting the program.
Dear friends,
At present, as changes of the times combine with the once-in-a-century pandemic, the “global village” of humanity faces multiple challenges. In his special address at the 2022 World Economic Forum, President Xi Jinping pointed out that notwithstanding all vicissitudes, humanity will move on. The right way forward for humanity is peaceful development and win-win cooperation. Different countries and civilizations may prosper together on the basis of respect for each other, and seek common ground and win-win outcomes by setting aside differences. We should follow the trend of history, work for a stable international order, advocate common values of humanity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
As ancient civilizations, China and India share the philosophical concepts of “harmony under heaven” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbha” (the world is one family). We are both developing countries and important emerging economies with population of more than 1 billion. And we face both arduous development tasks and broad development prospects. As a Chinese saying goes, “one should take a long-term perspective with a broad horizon”. China and India are eternal neighbors, and our common interests far outweigh frictions. We must adhere to the important consensus reached by the leaders of our two countries that “China and India pose no threat but offer development opportunities to each other, the two countries are partners rather than rivals”. We should enhance mutual trust through dialogue, seek development through cooperation, and promote progress through mutual learning. We should expand common ground and manage our differences properly. We should not only look forward but also move forward, and bring the bilateral relations back to the sound and steady track.
Dear friends,
Last year, China has grandly celebrated the centenary of the Communist Party of China. Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with President Xi Jinping at its core, China has achieved its first centenary goal and embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. China will continue to run its own affairs well, pursue high-quality development and all-round development of individuals. We will promote reform and opening-up and ecological conservation, and continue to meet people’s aspirations for a better life.
On February 4th, the Beijing Winter Olympic Games will begin. The slogan of this Winter Olympics is "Together for a Shared Future", which demonstrates the mental strength and common aspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to unite the world to overcome challenges. China is ready to present a simple, safe and splendid Olympic Games to the world. Let’s join hands in the new year and move forward to a better future together!
Thank you!
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msuwqd3zdZg&t=1073s)
