"I wish you good health, happiness and longevity!" The allegro in the Chinese language echoed in a hall at Prince Sultan University in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, during a cultural event to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year.

Crowded with enthusiastic visitors, the event held on Monday afternoon showcased the rich traditions of the Chinese festival, which falls on February 10 this year. The venue was adorned with red lanterns, couplets and various styles of Chinese calligraphy.

Abdullah Hazmi, a student who is studying the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Level 2, expressed his admiration for the immersive experience of tasting traditional Chinese foods and learning about the art of Chinese tea brewing.

He said that his encounter with the Spring Festival's customs inspired a deeper interest in Chinese culture, leading him to learn more about the Chinese language at the Confucius Institute at Prince Sultan University.

A highlight of the event was the calligraphy booth, where participants eagerly awaited their turn to have their names written in Chinese characters on red paper, creating a personal and cherished memento of the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which has been officially listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024.

Faisal Islam, who recently embarked on his Chinese learning journey, shared how the art of brush writing ignited his fascination with the expressive beauty of Chinese characters and the overarching charm of Chinese culture.

The event also featured traditional Spring Festival scrolls, penned by students from China's Tsinghua University.

These volunteers, along with Confucius Institute teachers, presented a series of cultural performances, including demonstrating traditional Chinese dragon dances and Chinese shadow puppetry, playing the erhu, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, and performing tai chi fans.

Zhang Xinying, the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute at Prince Sultan University, said "it is not only a Spring Festival celebration, but a grand event to bring Chinese culture into the campus, fostering deeper Sino-Saudi cultural exchanges."

The Confucius Institute, a collaborative effort between Shenzhen University and Prince Sultan University, has witnessed, since its inauguration on June 4, 2023, a growing interest in Chinese language and culture among its students, with nearly 100 students enrolled in five classes to learn junior and medium-level Chinese language.

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