Celebrating Chinese spring festival in harmattan

Just as the harmattan season fades away in northern Nigeria, the Chinese community along with friends celebrated the China spring festival, which according to the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Gu Xiaojie, “is the Chinese Lunar New Year which has a tradition in our history of more than two to three thousand years […]

Just as the harmattan season fades away in northern Nigeria, the Chinese community along with friends celebrated the China spring festival, which according to the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Gu Xiaojie, “is the Chinese Lunar New Year which has a tradition in our history of more than two to three thousand years old. It’s a big event for us.”
He said: “I’m very excited we are celebrating it in Nigeria for the first time. Every year we celebrate in Nigeria in different forms. This year we decided to do it this way. But next we’ll have it in a bigger form than this and I will be hosting a reception,” he explained.
Xiaojie who stated that he didn’t miss not being at home in China for the fiesta with all the fanfare added that celebrating with the Chinese community here and friends is good enough for me. “It’s really amazing to be together with Nigerians who have had an experience of the celebration in China,” he said.
Nigerians including Mrs. Lilian Pilaku who have experienced the celebration in China stressed that it was a ten-day fiesta marked with a lot of food, colours, partying and most of all, fireworks. “Transportation is also very tight because everyone is travelling back home to celebrate with their families,” she added.
The Kapital Choir entertained guests in Mandarin with the song ‘Jasmine’ (Turandot) with the Philharmonics Choir giving a special number as well.
Dumplings are a special delicacy synonymous with the fiesta and guests had a go at preparing it. They were also feted with other Chinese delicacies including noodles, fried rice, and spring rolls amongst others.  
The event was heralded by an art competition on the festival, between students in age range of 7 and 18 with Government Secondary School, Mpape winning the star prize.