A festive event celebrating the upcoming Lantern Festival was held at the China Cultural Center in the German capital of Berlin on Saturday, offering more than 400 guests an immersive experience of Chinese customs and culture.
The cultural event showcased some selected programs of the 2025 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, featuring captivating traditional Chinese music, folk dance and Peking Opera performances.
During the event, visitors also took part in a lantern riddle quiz and tried writing traditional Chinese calligraphy and making dumplings and small sweet glutinous rice balls -- two traditional snacks that are eaten during the Lantern Festival.
"I got a correct answer to a lantern riddle and won a beautiful desk ornament, with a sign reading 'Four Seasons of Happiness' in Chinese. I was deeply touched by this sentence. It displays the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. I can feel that the long-standing Chinese civilization is now showing new vitality and gaining more and more attention in Europe," said Tobias Baumann, a visitor.
"The cultural experience is impressive and deepens our understanding of Chinese culture. The cultural performances are also wonderful, especially the Peking Opera and the performances of different folk instruments. It is great to experience Chinese culture in Germany. We also ate the dumplings and the small sweet glutinous rice balls that we made ourselves, which are very delicious," said Andre Maass, a visitor.
"I didn't know much about the Lantern Festival before. Today is the first time I really got to know this festival in depth. It is really fun to make traditional Chinese food by myself," said another visitor.
The Lantern Festival, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on February 12 this year. It marks the conclusion of the Spring Festival celebrations.
Chinese cultural event held in Berlin ahead of Lantern Festival
Chinese cultural event held in Berlin ahead of Lantern Festival
