29 January 2025 marked the beginning of Chinese New Year – one of the most important holidays in Chinese tradition – which lasts until 12 February. The celebration of this holiday has a rich history and is associated with many traditions and customs.
According to Chinese tradition, each year is associated with one of the 12 animals of the zodiac. The year 2025 is the Year of the Snake. The celebrations began on 29 January and lasted until 12 February, with the whole festival culminating in the Lantern Festival, which marked the formal end of the Chinese New Year. This is a time for family reunions and many festivities, including dragon parades, fireworks and the distribution of red envelopes (hongbao). The red lanterns that decorate the houses and streets are meant to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.
To mark the occasion, the Chinese Embassy in Poland, the Asia-Pacific Museum, the Polish-Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Polish Media Association jointly organised an event on the opening day of the Chinese New Year, entitled ‘We are united by the Chinese New Year’, where Chinese and Poles celebrated the Chinese New Year together. The event was attended by H.E. Ambassador Sun Linjiang, Chairman of the Polish-Asian Chamber of Commerce, former Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński, Director of the Asia-Pacific Museum Józef Zalewski and Chairman of the Polish Media Association Marek Traczyk, as well as more than 130 other guests.
In his speech, His Excellency Ambassador Sun Linjiang said that in 2024, the Spring Festival would be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Intangible Heritage List, and would become a holiday for people all over the world. He added that the joint celebration of the Snake New Year by friends from China and Poland would promote mutual understanding of the cultures of the two countries, bring the hearts of their people closer together, and strengthen the foundation of friendship between China and Poland. His Excellency the Ambassador also expressed his confidence that China-Poland relations would reach an even higher level in the Year of the Snake.
The ‘Spring Festival Traditions’ event featured a series of activities that introduced participants to the culture and traditions associated with the Chinese New Year. The celebration programme began with a film showing highlights from the CMG 2025 Spring Festival Gala, followed by a film on the customs and traditions associated with Chinese New Year, which introduced participants to the rich symbolism of the holiday and how it is celebrated around the world. Another highlight of the programme was the readings given by two distinguished speakers – Li Jiaping from the University of Warsaw, who spoke about the culture of the Chinese New Year, and Katarzyna Pawlak, who gave plenty of details of the traditions and customs of celebrating this holiday in different regions of China.
The artistic part of the event was a real feast for the senses. Dai Bingbing from the Academy of Music in Łódź performed a solo Dai dance entitled ‘Rainy Night’ – a beautiful and emotional interpretation of the Dai ethnic minority dance. In this unique choreography, the dancer took the audience into a world of traditions and rituals associated with nature. Next, Szymon Perczynski from the Katowice Music Academy performed a virtuoso sword dance, ‘Dragon Dancing in the Heavens’, inspired by the power of the Chinese dragon, which is a symbol of strength, power and immortality, Then, the Fanghua Choir performed two unique pieces – first a rendition of ‘Joyful Chinese Year’, followed by a Polish folk song entitled ‘The Year of the Chinese’ (‘Kukułeczka’) in which we heard a combination of Chinese harmony and Polish musical tradition.
The atmosphere of the meeting was joyful and enthusiastic. Vivid stories about the traditions and customs associated with Chinese New Year, wonderful dance and singing, supplemented with authentic Chinese cuisine allowed the guests to fully experience the charms of Chinese New Year culture.
On 12 February, the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year (Lantern Festival), H.E. the Chinese Ambassador invited guests to the Drama Theatre in Warsaw for a concert entitled. ‘Musical Harmony Between East & West’ performed by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, which concluded the Chinese New Year celebrations.
– We meet today on the Lantern Festival, which is the first full moon of the Year of the Snake and the last day of the Spring Festival. It is such a time when spring returns and symbolises happiness and togetherness. On this occasion, I would like to wish you, happiness, success, good health and prosperity,’ said H.E. Sun Linjiang Ambassador of China. – Today, we are going to listen to a concert of young but very outstanding artists who will present us with traditional Chinese music. Music is a common language of mankind. I hope that music will be the bridge that connects our hearts and facilitates mutual understanding. In this way, we will build a better future for our relations. May the Polish-Chinese friendship last forever,’ said the Chinese ambassador at the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The chamber concert ‘Musical Harmony Between East & West’, performed by young artists from the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, combined elements of traditional Chinese music with Western classical music – the result was a unique fusion of sounds. The repertoire included pieces inspired by Chinese culture, such as ‘New Year Celebration’ and ‘Missing the Greek’, which evoke images of traditional Chinese holidays and landscapes. Compositions such as ‘Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon’ and ‘Voices of Spring’ combined the subtleties of Chinese melodies with Western chamber music techniques.
The concert was a wonderful illustration of the cooperation between East and West, showing how the two worlds can coexist harmoniously in music.
The Beijing Symphony Orchestra is one of the most prestigious musical ensembles in China, with a history dating back to the 1950s. It was founded in 1956 as one of the first symphony orchestras in the country, with the aim of promoting musical and classical culture in China. Based in Beijing, the orchestra regularly performs in prestigious concert halls and at international music festivals.
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