Greeks joined their Chinese friends living in Athens on Saturday to celebrate ahead of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, according to Xinhua news agency.

The Chinese community of Athens welcomed their Greek friends at Technopolis in the capital in celebration of the Chinese New Year that starts on February 16 this year.

Technopolis was decorated with traditional Chinese ornaments as people strolled along the exhibition stands set up to provide a taste of Chinese culture and traditions, and have an experience of a Temple Fair.

Visitors had a chance to taste Chinese foods, watch mask making, buy gifts and handcrafts and enjoy performances by visiting Chinese art troupes at the theater hall.

Under the theme “Night of Beijing” artists from the Opera, Dance Academy and National Orchestra of Beijing performed traditional dances, theater plays, impressive acrobatics and Chinese martial arts, enthralling the audience.

The event was jointly organized by the embassy of China in Greece and the Beijing municipality with the support of the Chinese cultural center in Athens as well as the Chinese community, businesses and media in Greece, according to the Xinhua report.

“Our countries are very close. We seem like one nation, so when you celebrate the New Year, we think it is our new year also to celebrate. It is the future we are celebrating,” Andreas Potamianos, President of the Greece-China Association, told Xinhua.

“We are very happy being together and we wish a prosperous New Year, a New Year with investments from China to Greece,” added Fotis Provatas, President of the Greek-Chinese Economic Council.

The Temple Fair at Technopolis will continue through Monday and all Athenians are welcome to watch music and dance performances by the Chinese artists.

Source: http://greece.greekreporter.com/category/greek-news/tourism/