WELLINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's capital Wellington has held a multicultural festival to mark the start of the Year of the Dragon, with various ethnic communities gathering at the National Museum to enjoy a multicultural feast.

This multicultural event held on Saturday featured a fusion of music and dance from Maori, Chinese, Indian, Thai, South Korean, Philippine, Middle Eastern, African and Latin American communities, said the co-host, the China Cultural Centre in Wellington.

"It was a good opportunity to enjoy cross-cultural performances with beautiful costumes from diverse communities in Wellington region, and to showcase cultural diversity of local talent," said a statement of the center, which co-hosted the event with the Multicultural Council of Wellington.

Former Governor General of New Zealand Anand Satyanand sent his New Year greetings to all the audiences, accompanied by a traditional lion dance and Kapa Haka from Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club, saying the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac symbolizes wisdom, good luck and the strength.

Member of Parliament Celia Wade-Brown acknowledged the huge contribution that diverse communities have made to New Zealand.

Since early February, a series of events celebrating the Chinese New Year have been held across New Zealand.

In Christchurch, a grand art and cultural show, food stalls and dozens of giant lanterns to pose for photos from Friday to Sunday attracted tens of thousands of residents from various parts of New Zealand, making it the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the South Island. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)