CCTV News: February 12th is the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and colorful celebrations were held in many places around the world.

On February 12, our Embassy in Kuwait and the Kuwait Chinese Cultural Center jointly held the "Happy Spring Festival" event. The guests watched Lantern Festival lanterns in the Chinese Embassy, ​​tasted Chinese food, and experienced traditional cultural activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets, paper cutting, calligraphy, and throwing pots.

On February 12, the 2025 "Happy Spring Festival" Lantern Festival Gala organized by the Amman Chinese Cultural Center was held in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Jordan invited more than 100 people including Chinese and local people to participate in the event. Everyone gathered together to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

On February 12, the southern Italian city of Reggio Calabria held a Lantern Festival celebration, with more than 100 people including representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Italy, Italian people, and Chinese overseas Chinese. SCO's big family spends the festival and experiences Chinese culture

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Spring Festival Lantern Festival Cultural Night event was held in Beijing on February 12. The Secretary-General of the SCO and representatives of the envoys from various member states to China gathered at the SCO Secretariat to celebrate the Lantern Festival together.

Festive red lanterns, lively lion dance performances, newly decorated SCO Secretariat, full of strong Chinese New Year atmosphere and joyful atmosphere.

Representatives of the SCO member states to China and their families experienced the production of traditional Chinese festival food such as making dumplings and rolling dumplings, and enjoyed the performance of Chinese intangible cultural heritage. On the night of reunion, the SCO family spent the first "intangible cultural heritage version" of the Spring Festival together, and also used this to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture. At the event, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Yermekbayev specially sent blessings to everyone in Chinese.

Secretary-General of Yermekbayev said that the spirit contained in the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival largely echoes the "Shanghai Spirit", that is, respecting diverse civilizations and seeking common development. The member states of the SCO attach great importance to exchanges and cooperation in the humanities field and regard them as an important factor in maintaining peace, promoting cooperation, prosperity and harmony. Spring Festival: A cultural carnival that celebrates and shares the world

In December 2024, the "Spring Festival" was successfully applied for World Heritage. From the "Chinese New Year" to the "World Year", the Spring Festival has a greater international influence and more lively than before. As a cultural carnival that is shared by the world, various celebrations will be staged all over the world during the 2025 Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival is the traditional festival with the profoundest connotation, richest content, the most participants and the most extensive influence of the Chinese nation. On the first Spring Festival after the successful application for World Heritage, the celebrations were popular all over the world, and the "Chinese Red" symbolizing the flavor of the New Year conveyed the world the best of the Year of the Snake.

In St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, the Hermitage Bridge across the Neva River slowly opens in the melodious melody of "Spring Festival Overture". The "Chinese Red" with the lights on the bridge are reflected on the river, bringing a strong warmth and festive atmosphere to the cold winter night. This is the first time that St. Petersburg has opened a bridge for a foreign festival.

From the Empire State Building in New York, the United States to the giant Ferris wheel "London Eye" of the UK, from the Tokyo Tower in Japan to the century-old Melbourne City Hall in Australia, landmark buildings in many countries have lit up "Chinese Red".

Shi Zeyi, deputy director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake is the first Spring Festival after the successful application for World Heritage. Many countries have included the Spring Festival in their own public cultural activity plans and held grand Spring Festival celebrations. Celebrating the Spring Festival together has great significance and far-reaching impact on maintaining the diversity of world culture and promoting exchanges and integration between different civilizations. Through the Spring Festival, the world can see the unique charm of Chinese culture more intuitively and see the latest achievements of Chinese modernization.