Feature: China-Kenya cultural fusion, friendship shine at Spring Festival Gala

NAIROBI, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Her face glowing as warm weather swept across Nairobi on Sunday morning, Jane Warui and her peers walked briskly to the podium to perform a Chinese lion dance, electrifying the audience.

Warui, a student majoring in the Chinese language at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, showcased her prowess in drumming as her group performed at the Chinese New Year Gala that attracted multitudes of visitors.

Kenya held a colorful gala in the capital as part of celebrations for the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 17, bringing together senior government officials, diplomats, industry leaders and cultural enthusiasts.

The event featured cultural performances by local and Chinese youth, including dragon and lion dances, Kung Fu, a cappella music, displays of Chinese costumes and cuisine.

"I like this event because it spotlights Chinese culture and how they celebrate their New Year. I see a future where both the Kenyan and Chinese people will embrace each other's cultures," Warui said.

Dozens of Kenyan youth like Warui donned brightly colored Chinese costumes to stage musical and martial arts shows at the New Year Gala, winning accolades from audiences of diverse nationalities, races and creeds.

"For me, performing Chinese drums and donning their costumes makes me feel like I am in China. It brings out that connection," Warui added, her excitement palpable.

Robinson Kimemia, also a Mandarin student at the University of Nairobi, said he felt privileged to attend the event, which spotlighted the richness, authenticity and global appeal of Chinese culture.

"I am loving the cross-cultural relationship between Kenyan and Chinese people. It is opening doors for us youth," Kimemia said.

The bubbly youngster said he loves Chinese food and tea, while drawing inspiration from the Asian nation's philosophy on work, diplomacy, and economic management.

Saying it was her first time participating in a Chinese New Year celebration, Margaret Atieno, a Chinese language major, said the silky vocals of a cappella singers and the dexterity of folk dancers carried her away.

Atieno's troupe performed a mixture of Mongolian, dragon and lion dances, drawing applause from the ecstatic audience at the courtyard of Two Rivers Mall, an upscale shopping complex that has hosted the Chinese New Year Gala for the third time.

"It is a good event, and we are enjoying the culture. Kenya-China cultural cooperation is growing rapidly, and in the future, we could have more corporations coming together to promote our cultures," Atieno said.

The Chinese New Year Gala reinforced the enduring cultural partnership between China and Kenya, anchored on mutual trust and sincerity, said Ummi Bashir, principal secretary in the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage.

"For decades, our two nations have worked together to build bridges of understanding through cultural exchange, recognizing culture, heritage, education and creative industries as key drivers of mutual understanding," Bashir said.

Sino-Kenyan cultural ties, as well as people-to-people exchanges, have thrived under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, she said, adding that in 2025, Kenya and China implemented a series of high-profile cultural exchange programs.

"It is encouraging that our partnership with China increasingly involves young people, artists, scholars and community-based cultural practitioners. These are the custodians of tomorrow's heritage and the innovators who will shape the future of our cultural relations," Bashir added.