(ECNS) -- As people around the world celebrated the Chinese New Year with vibrant activities, inbound arrivals during this year’s Spring Festival leaped by 150 percent year on year, hitting a new high, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.
“The Chinese New Year is becoming a worldwide celebrated festival, with nearly 20 countries designating the Spring Festival as an official holiday and Spring Festival customs celebrated in almost 200 countries and regions”, he said.
This Spring Festival is the first one since the inscription of the festival on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. It was celebrated around the world with joy in such activities as traditional temple fair, dragon and lion dance, float parade, Hanfu clothing experience, lit-up of landmarks in Chinese red, and “a taste of China”.
As China puts more countries on the visa-free list and fully relaxes and improves visa-free transit policy, "China Travel" continues to trend as foreign visitors arrive in China to experience the festivities firsthand.
In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes agility, wisdom and vitality. Lin noted that in this Year of the Snake, China will forge ahead with an enterprising spirit, focus on its own development and join hands with other countries in building a bright future featuring win-win cooperation.
“The joyful Chinese New Year is a celebration of hope and new beginnings. We hope that the spirit of harmony and inclusiveness as well as vibrancy and prosperity will serve as a force for unity and inspiration for the world in the year to come,” the spokesperson added.
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