Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
MINSK, May 31 (Xinhua) — The “Tea for World Harmony” festival was held in Minsk on Saturday. Representatives of Tianjin demonstrated their cultural traditions and folk customs to residents and guests of the city at the Freedom Square of the Belarusian capital. The bright and large-scale event attracted spectators.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan particularly noted at the opening of the event that the festival has become a brand of humanitarian exchange between China and Belarus. “Every year at the very beginning of summer, we gather here to enjoy the taste of tea together, learn about the cultural traditions and folk customs of China. This year, we were lucky to invite friends from Tianjin,” the ambassador noted.
Zhang Wenchuan drew attention to the fact that all guests of the event have the opportunity to try Tianjin jasmine tea, the history of which goes back more than 200 years, as well as traditional Chinese treats. “Everyone can also get acquainted with the unique examples of the intangible cultural heritage of Tianjin, enjoy the fiery performances of Chinese and Belarusian folklore groups, take part in a variety of interactive events dedicated to traditional Chinese culture. I am confident that this event will become another grand event in the cultural dialogue of our countries,” the ambassador said.
He also told the festival participants the history of the formation of the tea tradition of China and how it influenced the philosophy of the way of life of the Chinese people. According to the ambassador, tea has become a cultural symbol of Chinese-Belarusian friendship and a link for mutual cultural enrichment of the two peoples. “As all-weather and comprehensive strategic partners, China is ready to preserve and develop tea culture together with Belarus, write new pages in the modern history of “friendship through tea”, strengthen humanitarian ties and mutually beneficial cooperation through tea culture and exchanges, drawing spiritual strength from it to build a community of a common destiny for mankind,” Zhang Wenchuan summed up.
In turn, the first deputy chairperson of the Minsk City Executive Committee Nadezhda Lazarevich noted that Belarus and China are building comprehensive cooperation based on mutual respect. “We have a very long friendship. It connects us not only from the economic side, but also from the cultural side. Today at this event we see how many Belarusians are interested in the culture of the PRC,” N. Lazarevich noted.
She also drew attention to the fact that there are many objects in Minsk that were built thanks to technical and economic assistance from China. “We are grateful for this. Many innovative projects at Belarusian industrial enterprises were created with the help of China. We once again say a huge thank you to our great friend for passing on your culture and history to us through such ceremonies,” N. Lazarevich summed up.
The organizers of the festival “Tea for World Harmony” were the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Belarus and the Minsk City Executive Committee. –0–