RIYADH: Riyadh Season, the ongoing entertainment festival in the Saudi capital, recently celebrated the Chinese New Year. The event was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing, officials from the Chinese Embassy, and hordes of visitors. The colorful occasion, marking the importance of cultural exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China and the strengthening of bilateral relations, was held in Boulevard Riyadh City, where Spring Festival-themed videos played on LED screens to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Visitors at Boulevard celebrate Chinese New Year. (AN Photo by Saleh Alghenam) Also known as the Lunar New Year, it starts after the rising of the second new moon following the winter solstice. The date usually falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 on the Gregorian calendar and is one of the most celebrated occasions in the world. This year marks the Year of the Tiger in Chinese culture, which is the third of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. The celebration took several forms in the Riyadh Season zone with all of its screens lit red, displaying Chinese cultural elements, such as traditional houses and red lanterns, with congratulatory remarks written in Chinese, Arabic, and English. HIGH LIGHT The celebration took several forms in the Riyadh Season zone with all of its screens lit red, displaying Chinese cultural elements, such as traditional houses and red lanterns, with congratulatory remarks written in Chinese, Arabic, and English. As part of the celebration, customized cakes were prepared by the Chinese Embassy with the designs of Year of the Tiger 2022. The Boulevard’s dancing fountain performed in harmony with traditional Chinese music, while water splashes reflected the red lights beneath. Customized cake prepared by the Chinese Embassy with the designs of Year of the Tiger 2022 kept for distribution. (AN Photo by Saleh Alghenam) Weiqing told Arab News: “The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people. The Boulevard Riyadh City lights up the symbolic red color of China on the occasion, letting the Chinese people around the world feel the cordial greetings and best wishes from our Saudi friends. “I wish the Saudi people greater success in the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, and I’m looking forward to the deepening of the friendship between the Chinese and Saudi people. “This is a great honor to celebrate our Lunar New Year, and we hope in this new year we will strengthen our bilateral relationship and friendship in different fields. This is the beginning of a new cultural era in bilateral relations. We have a lot of common principles, now we have a very strong cultural linkage, so I think in the future China and Saudi Arabia will be one of the closest partners,” he added.  Chinese embassy staffs distribute customized cake prepared by them with the designs of Year of the Tiger 2022. (AN Photo by Saleh Alghenam) With Saudi Arabia’s first-ever winter Olympics team participating in the 2022 Beijing Games, the envoy said: “I congratulate Fayik Abdi (Saudi Alpine skier) for participation in the Beijing Games. This is a very encouraging achievement for the Saudi people. I am also proud of the achievement.” Weiqing noted that the Saudi delegation was led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi sports minister and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “I hope he (the prince) will enjoy the success of the Beijing Olympics as well as the first qualification of the Saudi participant,” he added. Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan has flown to the Chinese capital to support the Saudi team. In a tweet, she said: “Thrilled to be in Beijing to support our first-ever Saudi winter Olympics team.” She later posted a photo of the Olympic rings alongside a message to the Saudi athletes. “Wishing #Saudi team the best of luck during the winter Olympics. So proud to be here and witness this milestone, made possible by the hard work of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Ministry of Sports to develop the sports sector, guided by Vision 2030, and a determination to reach our full potential.”