On February 5, Chinese Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Cong Peiwu, attended the Chinese New Year Temple Fair organized by the Chinese Community Association in Ottawa and delivered a speech. The full text is as follows:

Today is the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival. I'm so glad to be here celebrating this festival with all of you. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Canada, I'd like to wish everyone a prosperous year of the Rabbit, good health, and great success!

Speaking of the Chinese New Year, it generally refers to the period from the Lunar New Year’s Eve to the fifteenth day of the first month “Lantern Festival”. This year is especially auspicious, as the beginning of spring falls within the New Year period. 

Half a month ago on January 22nd was the Chinese Spring Festival, the most important traditional holiday in China, signifying the arrival of a new year. On the eve of the Spring Festival, Chinese people who are away from home and working hard, no matter how far away, will return home to have New Year's Eve dinner, make dumplings, New Year Cake, and set off fireworks. Dumplings symbolize wealth and prosperity, New Year Cake symbolizes steady progress, and fireworks symbolize prosperity. After the dinner, the new year is about to start. Peace and prosperity for our country and its people is the greatest wish of the Chinese people.

Yesterday was the start of the 24 Solar Terms, or in other words “The Start of Spring”. The 24 Solar Terms are a product of ancient Chinese arranging agricultural production according to the laws of the sun's movement. Li Chun symbolizes the end of winter, the return of spring, and the revival of all things with full vitality. On this day, Chinese families like to enjoy spring pancakes, symbolizing a joyous welcome to spring and a prayer for a good harvest. After this, traditionally it would be time to start preparing for spring plowing and sowing, laying the foundation for a successful harvest.

Today is the Lantern Festival, the first full moon after the Chinese Lunar New Year, which marks the climax of the New Year celebration. On this day, Chinese families get together to eat rice dumplings and watch lanterns. Rice dumplings made from sticky rice and sesame symbolize reunion and sweetness; paper lanterns decorated with bright colors express the hope for peace. After this meal, many people leave home to pursue their career in other places.

Friends,

The Year of the Tiger that has just passed was a milestone year. The Communist Party of China successfully convened its 20th National Congress. China embarked on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, providing much-needed certainty and stability to a world rocked by changes and turmoil, and bringing new opportunities to countries around the world, including Canada. 

The new year opens new hopes. In this hopeful Year of the Rabbit, we look forward to the Canadian side meeting the Chinese side halfway, adhering to mutual respect, equality, and seeking common ground while reserving differences, to get the China-Canada relationship back on track and bring more tangible benefits to the people of both countries. We hope that Canadian friends from all walks of life will go to visit China to experience China's development and openness, and to see a friendly and real China!

Today's Chinese New Year temple fair, organized by the Chinese Community Association, provides a great opportunity to showcase Chinese traditional culture and promote friendly ties between China and Canada. I wish the temple fair a complete success! I wish all friends good luck!

Thank you, everyone!