Spring Fest goes global

The "Happy Spring Festival" held in Germany in February features a variety of activities, including showcasing of traditional craftsmanship and performances. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Carnivals will prove popular in neighboring Asian nations and Latin America, whereas we'll focus on high-end performances in North America. Europeans prefer such arts as dances and dramas. Activities must be mixed into local cultural events to flourish and wield lasting influence."

The program will also promote international cultural trade in such sectors as design, e-commerce and the construction of cultural institutions' facilities'.

China's top cultural body also hopes to consolidate its international platform to regularly show the finest parts of the country's culture after the festival ends.

There will be more than 50 China Cultural Centers overseas by the end of 2020, compared with the current 30, the ministry says.

"The centers offer comprehensive introductions of Chinese culture and thus shape China's international image," says Zheng Hao, an official with the ministry, who is in charge of the program.

"Local residents' customs are also incorporated."

Lectures, seminars and art festivals that gather scholars, artists and authors from China and host countries are often held in the centers throughout the year.

For example, about 150 seminars on comparative studies, musicals, performances and special exhibitions have been held in the centers since September to mark the simultaneous anniversaries of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu 400 years ago.

In recent years, Berlin's cultural center has twice organized European championships for the Chinese board game Go.