A series of events for celebrating Chinese New Year and introducing Beijing's bid regarding 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off in Helsinki on February 18th. Yu Qingtai, China's ambassador to Finland; Jussi Pajunen, mayor of Helsinki; and Chen Dong, director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture attended the opening ceremony.
These events were transferred to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia on February 20th. Qu Zhe, China's ambassador to Estonia; Edgar Savissar, mayor of Tallinn; and Chen Dong presented at the launch ceremony.
Both cities' events included artistic performances, a photo exhibition on Beijing, a Chinese lantern show, and a presentation about Beijing's intangible culture heritage. The two city project was a collaboration between the Beijing municipal government, China's embassy to Finland, and the Helsinki municipal government.
The photo exhibition was held at Helsinki's Crystal Square, Tallinn's City Hall and City Museum respectively. A total of 150 works from world-renowned photographers showcased Beijing's vivid urban landscapes, winter sports as well as the daily lives of Beijing citizens. The iconic city-image photo exhibition has been held in more than 30 countries.
Performances were a highlight of the events. Graceful dances, melodic Chinese folk songs, vigorous martial arts and jaw-dropping acrobatics entertained the crowds. And finally, there were educational presentations about authentic folk-customs including kite-making, diabolo and paper-cutting, all of which created a strong Chinese New Year atmosphere.
