Chinese leaders attended a grand gathering in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Friday morning to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, that falls on Feb. 18 this year.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of CPC, chaired the gathering of personages from various circles.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech.

Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the gathering.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2007)