Two Rivers hosts Chinese New Year celebrations in Kenya
East Africa’s largest mall, Two Rivers will host the 2020 Chinese Spring Festival, which kicks off today and ends on February 2.
The ten-day event has been organized by Two Rivers in partnership with the Chinese Embassy, Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi and the Erdemann Chinese Culture Centre.
Among the activities lined up is a weeklong Chinese New Year Festival where guests will indulge in activities like the Chinese wishing tree, Chinese costumes and photo booth, Kids zodiac centre, Chinese cuisine and Chinese art classes.
Speaking at the launch of the celebrations, Two Rivers Lifestyle Centre’s General Manager Mr. Theodoros Pantis said hosting of the Chinese New Year celebrations was a perfect fit with the Two Rivers’ mission to embrace the diversity of its shoppers as it continues to position itself as the ultimate family destination.
“Our key strategy is to offer worldwide experiences to our visitors under the theme Around the World and hosting Chinese New Year festivities is a perfect fit. In celebrating the Chinese New Year, we are taking our visitors on an enriching experience to discover the beauty of China in cultural Chinese traditions, games, performances and dishes as they enjoy our tenant offering. Additionally, over the last years, Kenya has seen a strong presence of the Chinese community and it is our aim to make them feel at home at Two Rivers,” Mr. Theodoros said.
Mr. Theodoros added that the Mall had set up a Cultural Exhibition Centre and a demo kitchen with chefs teaching the culinary art of authentic Chinese dishes and snacks during the Spring Festival to showcase the Chinese culture “that will help our shoppers gain an appreciation of China.”
“We also have various stores in the Mall with running offers of up to 50% off for the celebration period,” Mr. Theodoros added.
Speaking when he officially opened the celebrations, Wang Xuezheng, Counsellor of Chinese Embassy to Kenya said such festivities were vital in highlighting the time-honored cultural heritage of China’s ancient civilization.
“Such events continue to play a big role in improving relations between the Chinese community and our Kenyan hosts and we are grateful to Two Rivers for undertaking to host this year’s celebrations. With the sound and rapid progress in China-Kenya bilatural relations, high-level visits have become more frequent, political mutual trust has been strengthened, and cultural exchanges have become increasingly developed,” Mr. Wang said.
The Chinese New Year, also referred to as the Lunar New Year is the most important traditional festival in China and celebrated through various activities around the Spring Festival. This year will be the Year of the Rat, which in the Chinese zodiac symbolizes wit, dexterity, and self-improvement in both diversity and adversity.
