Chinese Spring Festival 2012 marked in Nepal

Chinese Spring Festival 2012 was marked in Nepal amid a special program with a dinner reception jointly organized on Saturday by Araniko Society and Chinese Embassy in Nepal. This year the Chinese Spring Festival falls on Jan. 23, prior to it the celebration began in Nepal like previous years. Participants included Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and various dignitaries, officials, Chinese people living in Nepal and students. Addressing the program, Bhattarai extended his best wishes to the Chinese government and all the Chinese people around the world. \"I am grateful to take part in this grand ceremony of celebrating the Spring Festival which holds a lot of significance to Chinese people,\" said Bhattarai during the celebration of Chinese Spring Festival 2012 in Nepal. He also said that the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jia Bao has taken the friendship of Nepal and China to a greater height. \"The Chinese support to Nepal is really praiseworthy and has been helping a lot in the development of Nepal,\" he added. He added that the Chinese festival is equally comparable to the Nepali festival of Dashain which holds a lot of value to Nepalese. Speaking during the same occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yang Hou Lan said that the festival is very important for the family reunion in China. \"Celebration of the festival here in Nepal means we are brothers and sisters and feels like we are from a same family,\" he exclaimed. On a different note he expressed his happiness over the hospitality shown by Nepalese people during the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jia Bao. Araniko Society has been marking the festival since past 25 years in Nepal. In the program various dances and performances were made. Nepalese dancers had danced in the Chinese tune and the Chinese ladies danced in Nepali number. The major attraction of the festival was the various performances which showed a blend of cultural relations in between Nepal and China.