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
BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) — The Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival opened on Thursday at the Wangfujing pedestrian street in the center of the Chinese capital in the context of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of sister city relations between Beijing and Moscow.
“On the instructions of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, we are opening this wonderful project “Moscow Seasons in Beijing”. Moscow has already celebrated the Chinese New Year twice, and this wonderful, bright event brings joy to every resident and guest of the Russian capital. I hope that we will be able to please and surprise every visitor to this beautiful central street of Beijing,” said First Deputy Head of the Moscow Mayor and Government Office, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee Evgeny Kozlov.
“The project that is starting today, which is a striking example of dialogue between cultures and civilizations, continues the good tradition of cultural exchanges between the main cities of our countries that has developed in recent years,” noted the Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, Sergei Kramintsev.
According to him, during the festival, which took place in Moscow in connection with the celebration of the Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, master classes in calligraphy and the creation of paper dragons, as well as drum shows and tea ceremonies, attracted great interest from more than one and a half million visitors.
The Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival will undoubtedly become one of the most memorable events of the program of the cross years of culture of Russia and China. In thematic pavilions, one can get acquainted with the tourist potential of our country, take part in creative master classes, visit a fair of Moscow souvenirs and try dishes of traditional Russian cuisine. Meanwhile, a rich concert program is planned, from classical music to jazz, said S. Kramintsev.
Guo Huigang, director of the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, said that Beijing and Moscow have recently jointly organized a series of events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their sister city relationship, stressing that with the continuous development of sister city relations, Moscow has become one of Beijing’s closest sister cities on an international scale.
He also noted that culture and tourism are important areas of cooperation between both countries and both cities. As it became known, China ranks first among foreign countries in the number of tourists coming to the Russian capital. In 2024 alone, Moscow was visited by more than 420 thousand guests from China.
According to the Beijing City Administration of Culture and Tourism, Beijing received 293,000 tourists from Russia last year, and over 175,000 Russian tourists visited the Chinese capital in the first five months of this year. Among foreign travelers who visited Beijing during the same period, Russians ranked first.
The festival, organized by the Moscow government with the support of the Beijing People’s Government, is one of the largest in a series of events within the framework of the China-Russia Cross Years of Culture 2024-2025. It will last until Sunday. -0-