The Chinese Lunar New Year officially began on 25th January, this year is going to be the year of Geng Zi aka Rat. Celebrating the notable event a Chinese Spring Festival and an international cultural festival had been organized at one of the important rural centers of Hungarian-Chinese relations the Győry-castle of Perkáta on Saturday from 10 am.

For the sake of historical background, it is worth to mention that Perkáta is the oldest Hungarian settlement with a Chinese partner. The first great meeting was held in 1960, when a Chinese delegation visited Dunaújváros and the surrounding Perkáta. In 1961, one of the farmers' cooperatives in Perkata adopted the name Hungarian-Chinese Friendship. Perkáta has later established a twin city relationship with Huaxiang, Beijing.

Back to the present: in 2016, the ruins of the Győry-castle have been renewed as a Chinese-Hungarian center. So, to say the least, Chinese guests returned home on Saturday, showcasing their continent-wide country's thousand-years-old history, cultural heritage and gastronomic values with a diverse cultural program.

The event started at 10 am. Following the ceremonial opening spectators could enjoy a spectacular dragon dance followed by an opera a martial arts show and a Thai-chi dance performance. Braves could try on the traditional Chinese folk costume the qipao.

 

 

Some of the Chinese students of the University of Dunaújváros had the chance to participate in the festival events and celebrate the Lunar New Year together with the locals.

 

 

Of course, the Hungarian youth folk song and folk dance group also took the stage. In the spirit of gastronomic familiarity and relaxation, participants could taste a herbal liqueur called Jing, based on a secret Chinese imperial recipe.

The visitors did not leave without a gift everybody get a Chinese calendar and cultural booklet. A separate lecture also covered the prospect of the upcoming Year of Rat. Predictions show that we are ahead of a time of abundance, economic growth, and great opportunities… We'll see.