Costa Ricans and overseas Chinese celebrated the Chinese New Year in style this year, marking the Year of the Dragon with a series of events and celebrations that showcased the beauty of Chinese culture.
In Cartago, Costa Rica, a large-scale light show and cultural event called “Shine Cartago and Celebrate the Year of China Together” brought nearly 10,000 local people and overseas Chinese together to ring in the Chinese New Year. The event featured a stunning light show at the famous “Cartago Ruins” and performances of traditional Chinese Kung Fu, delighting the audience and sparking excitement, especially among the young attendees.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombia and the Cartago City Government, who co-organized the event, aimed to provide a window for local people to experience Chinese culture and bring the community together in celebration.
In San Jose, the capital of Colombia, the “Happy Spring Festival” and “Chinese Culture Day” activities were jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Colombia, the San Jose Municipal Government, and the Colombian Overseas Chinese Association. The event drew the participation of local Costa Ricans who have a deep appreciation for Chinese culture, with many sharing stories of their experiences learning Chinese language and traditions.
The celebration of the Chinese New Year in Costa Rica holds special significance, as the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica passed a bill to establish a “Chinese Culture Day” in December 2019, making it the first Latin American country to establish such a day through legislation.
The festivities were met with enthusiasm from both the local Costa Rican community and the overseas Chinese population, with many expressing their delight in sharing and learning about Chinese traditions and culture. Weng Cuiyu, president of the Overseas Chinese Association of Costa Rica, expressed her happiness in being able to share Chinese culture with the local people, emphasizing the importance of promoting mutual understanding and appreciation between the two cultures.
The events in Cartago and San Jose served as a reflection of the growing interest and embrace of Chinese culture in Costa Rica, with local media outlets dedicating special features and issues to Chinese customs and the achievements of Chinese-Colombian cooperation.
As the Chinese New Year celebrations in Costa Rica came to a close, the sense of unity and cultural exchange left a lasting impression, embodying the spirit of harmony and cooperation between the Costa Rican and Chinese communities.
[Editor in charge: Xu Kun]