China News Service, Xi'an, February 3 (Yang Yingqi) How did people celebrate the New Year in the Tang Dynasty? Why do Chinese people love to eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year? How to celebrate the "Little New Year" in the Daming Palace? Are there many foreigners living in the ancient city of Chang'an... On February 2nd, northern China ushered in the "Little New Year". In the Daming Palace Ruins Museum at dusk, Chinese scholars were video-connecting with Central Asian youths thousands of miles away to prepare for They solved the mystery of Chinese New Year.
That night, a people-to-people and cultural exchange event with the theme of "Entering Chinese Civilization - Poetic Chang'an·Bright Civilization Memory" co-sponsored by World Knowledge Publishing House and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi.
"Nine heavens open the palace, and the clothes and hats of all nations worship." The Daming Palace, known as the "Palace of Thousand Palaces", was the largest palace among the three major palaces in Chang'an City during the Tang Dynasty. In 2014, the Tang Dynasty Daming Palace ruins became a world cultural heritage as an important part of the "Silk Road: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Road Network".
On the evening of the 2nd, a cultural exchange event with the theme of "Entering Chinese Civilization - Poetic Chang'an·Brilliant Civilization Memory" was held in the Daming Palace Ruins Museum. Photo by Yang Yingqi
At the event, Wang Shuanghuai, a professor at the School of History and Culture of Shaanxi Normal University and president of the Xi'an Tang Dynasty Culture and History Society, used the Daming Palace as the background and combined with the opening and prosperity of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty to tell the story of the Chinese nation being kind and kind to neighbors, harmonious with all nations, and harmonious without difference. cultural concept. Young people from five Central Asian countries actively asked questions on topics such as Central Asian elements in Tang Dynasty cultural relics, Chinese customs and food culture.
"Why do Chinese people like to eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year? What is the meaning? What are the customs of Chinese New Year today?" Daniel, a young man from Turkmenistan, was very curious about the eating habits of Chinese festivals. David from Uzbekistan asked questions about the external exchanges of the Tang Dynasty: "Silk The road made the Tang Dynasty closely connected with Central Asia, West Asia and other places. Were there many foreigners living in Chang'an at that time? How did they live?"
"These questions show foreign young people's yearning for Chinese traditional culture. The 'Spring Festival time' is also a good opportunity for us to show our humanistic customs and interpret history and culture to friends from all over the world. This unique way of cultural exchange is very meaningful." Wang Shuanghuai said , the enthusiasm of foreign youths caught him by surprise.
After the interactive exchange, the guests and youth representatives watched online the launching ceremony of the "Chang'an Lantern Festival" held in Xi'an that night, and stepped into China's "Spring Festival time" together. (over)