Various activities set in Latin America to celebrate Chinese New Year

He said Venezuela needs to export its own cultural wealth in order to exchange with countries like China, which could "strengthen our economy and bilateral ties."

One of the key presentations will be of "My Dream", a piece where artists with various disabilities will express their innermost thoughts through music and dance. It will be on show in Venezuela on Jan. 29-31 by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe.

Another activity will be a festival of Chinese children's movies, set to take place on Feb. 5-12 at the Celarg cinemas, the Museum of Fine Arts and other cinemas around the country.

A number of movies, including Fireball, the Legend of Rabbit, The King of Milu Deer, and the Dreams of Jinsha, among others, will be on presentation.

TV stations, such as Vive TV and Vale TV, will also dedicate airtime to Chinese films and documentaries on Feb. 15-21, including Confucius, Forever Enthralled, The Knot, and The Volunteer.

The city of Valencia, in the northern state of Carabobo, will also hold a Chinese cultural week from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, which includes a celebration of the contributions Chinese immigrants have made to the city.

Cuba is not to be left undone, and it will celebrate the Spring Festival in its own way.

This celebration began with the opening of the "Time for China" photo exhibition at the Chinese embassy in Havana.

To mark the Year of the Monkey, martial artists from China's famous Shaolin Temple will put on a Chinese martial arts show on Jan. 29-30 at the Mella theater.

However, the main component of this festival will take place on Feb. 7, when students from the Cuban Wushu School will take to the streets of Havana's Chinatown to perform dragon, tiger and peacock dances.

On Jan. 22 in Bogota, capital of Colombia, China's Jilin Song and Dance Ensemble staged a performance for the local audience.

The Ensemble once performed during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and has toured more than 30 countries.

After the group's first performance in Bogota, Chinese Ambassador to Colombia Li Nianping stressed the importance of cultural exchanges.

"Such exchanges are a good opportunity for the two countries to grow closer together. We hope to welcome more Colombians to visit China, a beautiful Asian country," said the diplomat.