From February 3rd to 4th, 2024, the "Joyful Dragon for a Happy Chinese New Year" Zodiac-themed Flash-mob & Happy Chinese New Year event, sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau and organized by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center, was held with success in Mexico City. The zodiac-themed flash-mob team from Beijing participated in organizing the Chinese New Year Cultural Festival at the National Art Center of Mexico (Cenart) and the "Chinese Zodiac Bicycle Decoration Competition" (Year of the Dragon) on Reforma Avenue. They showcased diverse cultural performances, dragon dances, and displays of intangible cultural heritage, joyously celebrating the Chinese new year alongside the local community. The event gained tremendous popularity, attracting 20,000 local residents to join in the Year of the Dragon festivities with great enthusiasm.
1.Unprecedented success of Chinese New Year Cultural Festival at the National Art Center of Mexico
On the morning of February 3rd, local time, which happened to be the Minor Spring Festival, the New Year Reception of the Chinese Embassy in Mexico & Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Chinese New Year Cultural Festival took place with grandeur at the National Art Center of Mexico. The event was attended by Ambassador Zhang Run of the Chinese Embassy in Mexico, Ms. Pang Wei, Level-I Bureau Rank Official from the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, Mexican Minister of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, Ms. María Estela Ríos González, Legal Counsel to the Federal Executive, and Mexican sculptor Sebastian, among others.
(1) Chinese and Mexican artists delight audience with their distinctive styles
At the event, Chinese and international guests enjoyed an enchanting performance from Beijing. As the show commenced, the rhythmic beats of drums and the lively movements of dragons and lions immersed the audience in the festive ambiance of the Chinese New Year. The dragon (or "loong" in Chinese) is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation, and finds expression in the combination of power and beauty within Chinese Kungfu. The China Longyun Kungfu Troupe, founded by Chinese superstar Jackie Chan, brought to life an exhilarating Kungfu dance named "Dragon Spirit", expressing the vigor and dignity of the Chinese dragon. Based on "martial arts" and expressing through "art", the performance highlighted the unique charm of Chinese Kungfu. During the event, Chinese traditional musicians skillfully rendered classic musical pieces including "Dragon Boat", "Horse Racing", "Dancing Gold Snake", and "Jasmine Flower". Collaborating live with a Mexican violinist, Chinese players of pipa, bamboo flute, and erhu presented the masterpiece, "Descendants of the Dragon". The spectacular performance held the entire audience captive, eliciting cheers from the numerous onlookers who paused to witness the spectacle, generating a wave of excitement that reverberated throughout the venue.
(2) Dazzling exhibitions at National Art Center of Mexico
Concurrently held at the National Art Center of Mexico, the Global Zodiac Design Competition (Year of the Dragon) Exhibition and the "Hello, Beijing" Photography Exhibition made a splendid appearance. Ms. Pang Wei presented artist Sebastian, an invited participant of the Global Zodiac Design Competition, with an artistic work collection certificate. The exhibitions will run for a month, utilizing a rich visual language to interpret the auspicious meanings embedded in Chinese dragon culture.
(3) "Adding the Finishing Touch to the Dragon" to kick-start the flash-mob in Mexico City
At the Beijing Intangible Cultural Heritage Temple Fair, Ms. Pang Wei, Ambassador Zhang Run, and Mexican Minister of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, jointly brought the flash-mob dragon to life by symbolically painting the dragon's eye, adding the "finishing touch", which elevated the atmosphere of the event to a climax.
(4) Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors display their exquisite skills
Visitors had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the distinct Beijing arts of diabolo, shadow puppetry, and the stylized Chinese characters for "Dragon" and "Phoenix". Notably, this event marked the first occasion where sugar painting was integrated with the traditional sugar-coated haws of Beijing, providing local residents with a chance to relish the authentic Beijing delicacy known as "sugar-coated haws". The guests expressed admiration and satisfaction for this delightful culinary experience.
(5) Cross-national couple presents "Welcome to Beijing"
Miaomiao, a Chinese woman, and Maodou, a Mexican musician, were invited as a cross-national couple to share their delightful experiences in China, as well as feelings and thoughts about the country and its capital Beijing. At the event, they unveiled 11 unique themes and 88 emerging cultural tourist destinations in "Discover the New Beijing", offering foreign guests a renewed perspective on the city. Their performance of "Welcome to Beijing" extended a heartfelt invitation from China to the attendees, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the audience.
2. The Chinese zodiac dragon "rides" on Reforma Avenue in Mexico
On February 4th, local time, the 7th Reforma Avenue Year of the Dragon "Chinese Zodiac Bicycle Decoration Competition" unfolded at the roundabout of the Independence Monument on Reforma Avenue in Mexico City. In attendance were Ambassador Zhang Run from the Chinese Embassy in Mexico, Pang Wei, Level-I Bureau Rank Official from the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, Shi Yuewen, Director of the China Cultural Center in Mexico, Daniel Tovar Herrera, Director of the international affairs office of Mexico City, Verónica García Martínez, General Director of International Relations and Cooperation at the international affairs office of Mexico City, and Guillermo Javier Felipe Ávila Reséndiz, General Director of Road Safety and Sustainable Urban Mobility Systems.
Ms. Pang Wei, delivered a speech on behalf of the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, congratulating the successful hosting of the 7th Reforma Avenue Year of the Dragon "Chinese Zodiac Bicycle Decoration Competition". On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of sister-city relationship between Beijing and Mexico City, she extended New Year's blessings for the Year of the Dragon and a warm invitation to Mexican friends to visit Beijing, China. Ms. Pang Wei also presented a thematic print titled "A True Heart" to the international affairs office of Mexico City on-site. Together with Ambassador Zhang Run and other colleagues from the Mexican Embassy, she scored and awarded the participants.
At the event, the zodiac-themed flash-mob from Beijing presented cultural performances including traditional music, Kungfu, dance, and diabolo to the citizens of Mexico City. Once again, it captivated the entire audience, with more than 1,500 local residents stopping to watch and cheer.
During the event, the Zodiac Dragon made a surprise appearance with a flash-mob on the streets of Mexico City, wandering through various landmarks and delighting local residents. Together, they celebrated the oldest and liveliest traditional festival—Chinese New Year. The production team documented the entire journey and will release a special documentary during the Lantern Festival of 2024. The documentary will open with the Great Wall of China, then soar towards the Mayan pyramids and Machu Picchu in the Americas, traversing millennia of culture—all set to the rhythmic dance of the Chinese dragon!
China, Mexico, and Peru all boast brilliant civilizations and profound cultures. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Beijing and Lima, the "Joyful Dragon for a Happy Chinese New Year" flash-mob event was held with the hope of promoting China-Latin America relations through cultural exchange. It encouraged a meaningful dialogue between Chinese civilization and the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. While the four civilizations cherish the beauty inherent in their own cultural traditions, it is essential that they also honor the distinctive characteristics of one another. Only by doing so can they add radiance to each other, working together to transform the world into a place of shared harmony and beauty.
