BERLIN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The biting winter cold outside Berlin's historic Red Town Hall did little to quiet the buzz inside on Thursday evening, as a gala for the upcoming Chinese New Year unfolded amidst a festive display of rolled-out red carpets and glowing red lanterns.
The gala, marking the 12th year the city's landmark has hosted the "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations, brought together over 300 German and Chinese guests for a night of cultural exchanges.
"This is my fourth time here," Berlin Zoo and Tierpark Director Andreas Knieriem told Xinhua. "Every time you can feel how much effort goes into it. The overall standard has been consistently high."
Knieriem noted that while Berlin's winters can be relentless, the atmosphere inside the hall offered a different kind of warmth. "In this season, it is always happy to be in a room so full of smiling faces," he said.
Before the official curtain call, a traditional lion dance set a spirited tone. A crimson and a golden lion leaped and maneuvered with precision, accompanied by the rhythmic clanging of gongs and drums. Guests paused in the entrance hall, with phones raised, to capture the vibrant welcome.
Then, artists from central China's Hubei Province took the stage, blending ancient heritage with modern energy. As the performance continued with Beijing Opera, folk music, and martial arts, the hall resonated with waves of applause.
In the audience, Jan Steinert found himself unexpectedly in the spotlight. During the magic show Dreamy Ballet, he was invited onto the stage, becoming an impromptu co-star in the performance.
"I had no idea what was going to happen," Steinert told Xinhua. "The magician asked us both to put a crumpled piece of paper in our mouths. When I pulled mine out, it was still just paper but she had a long, multicolored paper ribbon. I still have no idea how she did it; she did not reveal the secret!"
While this was his first time attending a Chinese New Year celebration in Berlin, Steinert is no stranger to China. Working for a multinational corporation, he has visited the country twice. "Chinese culture dates back thousands of years. I am quite interested in it. It possesses a charm entirely different from German culture," he said.
For Felix, the highlight was a Taichi Fan performance. A German practitioner of Chinese Kung Fu for five years, he said the show struck a chord with him. He summed up the evening in one word -- friendship, calling it a clear example of two-way cultural exchange between China and Germany.
This year's celebration was co-hosted by the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, the Berlin city government, and the department of culture and tourism of Hubei Province. Following their Berlin performance, the Hubei artists traveled to Munich on Friday to continue sharing the joy and blessings ahead of the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 17 this year and marks the start of the Year of the Horse.
"The Year of the Horse symbolizes the courage to press ahead and a spirited drive to move forward," said He Wenbo, deputy director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin. He expressed his hope that the festivities would serve as a catalyst to further deepen cultural ties and strengthen the enduring friendship between the two nations.
