Embrace China celebrates Chinese New Year in NYC

Chorus of Consulate General of China in New York poses before getting on stage. JUDY ZHU / FOR CHINA DAILY

The 2017 Embrace China-New York performance gala took to the stage at Town Hall in New York on Monday.

The gala aimed to provide a unique opportunity for oversea Chinese and local residents to celebrate the 2017 Chinese New Year with traditional culture.

Organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (AFROC), the Embrace China art group consists of Chinese national artists and performance troupes.

The performances look to engage friendship between overseas Chinese, Chinese Americans and local people and enhance the mutual understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

This year, the art group presented the renowned China National Acrobatic Troupe, which has won 55 golden worldwide awards in the past six decades. Chinese famous singer Dong Wenhua and Chen Junhua also brought songs from the 1960s and connected with a majority of the Chinese audiences, who have been in the US for more than 30 years.

Chinese officials also got on the stage. The chorus of the Chinese Consulate General in New York, including Consul General Zhang Qiyue, also performed two familiar Chinese songs, Half Moon Is Arising and My Motherland and Me.

"We came to send our sincere greetings to all Chinese overseas and local residents," Zhang said in her evening gown. "2017 is an important year for China-US relationship. We hope everyone can contribute to China-US friendship and engage mutual understanding between two countries."

Liu Qi, director of the cultural exchange department of AFROC and also the head of Embrace China, said the group has performed in more than 900 events in over 70 countries since 2008.

"We brought the top-level performances to Chinese overseas around the world to reveal their sentiment of attachment to the motherland," Liu said.

Judy Zhu in New York contributed to this story.