UN and Chinese Embassy celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year in Nairobi

The celebration was co-hosted by the UN and the Chinese Embassy, bringing together dignitaries, diplomats, and UN personnel to acknowledge the significance of the traditional Chinese festival.

The event was marked by warm greetings and inspiring remarks from key figures, including Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of UNON, and Ambassador Guo Haiyan of the People’s Republic of China to Kenya.

Cultural Significance and Global Recognition

Mrs. Bangura opened the event with a heartfelt welcome, highlighting the importance of the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture and its global significance.

She also celebrated the recognition of the Spring Festival as part of the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a distinction achieved in December 2024.

"On behalf of the UN family in Kenya, I pray that this Lunar New Year of the Wood Snake brings us all uncommon wisdom and discernment to manage the myriad challenges we face as a race today," Mrs. Bangura said. "May peace, prosperity, good health, and increased compassion towards each other reign and abide with every one of us all year long!"

The symbolic representation of the Year of the Wood Snake in Chinese astrology, characterized by intuition, strategy, growth, and planning, was woven into the event’s themes of global cooperation and shared prosperity.

Ambassador Guo Haiyan's Address: A Reflection on China’s Growth

Ambassador Guo Haiyan’s remarks expanded on the significance of the Spring Festival as a celebration of not only China’s rich cultural heritage but also the country’s resilience and progress.

She highlighted China’s economic achievements, including a GDP surpassing 130 trillion yuan, record-breaking grain production, and the production of more than 10 million new energy vehicles in 2024.

"Spring Festival is not only the essence of the excellent traditional Chinese culture but also provides inspiration for solving the troubles and problems of today’s world," Ambassador Guo remarked.

She stressed that the festival reflects the Chinese nation’s yearning for peace, harmony, and coexistence between humanity and nature. The Ambassador also pointed out the growing global acknowledgment of the Spring Festival, with around 20 countries officially recognizing it as a public holiday and approximately one-fifth of the world’s population celebrating it in various ways.

"Spring Festival embodies the dream of reunion, the path to peace, and the hope for a harmonious world," she continued, urging continued efforts toward global unity and cooperation in addressing the challenges facing humanity.