‘Abu-Ghazaleh Confucius Institute’ Celebrates 2024 Chinese New Year and Spring Festival

AMMAN – Under the patronage of HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Confucius Institute (TAG-Confucius) has organized a ceremony to celebrate the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival that began on the 10th of February. 

Representing H.E.  Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, TAG-Confucius Executive Director Mr. Mamoun Abu Sebaa’ has attended the ceremony along with Mr. Gong Anmin, Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Jordan in the presence of Ms. Shi Wei, Cultural Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Jordan, and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Jordan. 

The ceremony was also attended by members of the Chinese community in Jordan, in addition to students from TAG-Confucius and other Jordanian universities. 

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Anmin congratulated the people of Jordan and China on the New Year 2024 and the Chinese Spring Festival. He applauded the historic Jordanian-Chinese relations that are founded on friendship and mutual respect.

Mr. Anmin, furthermore, highly praised the role of Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh in developing and enhancing the Chinese-Arab ties through distinctive contributions conducted by TAG.Global and by himself personally in the fields of economy, culture, education and technology, referring to the 15-year-long partnership with TAG- Confucius which is considered the first destination in the Arab region for those who seek to learn Chinese and know more about Chinese culture.

On the economic front, Mr. Anmin pointed to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was recently signed between Jordan and China on the joint construction of the ‘Belt and the Road’ initiative. He noted that it’s a promising and a strategic move towards enhancing bilateral cooperation and reinforcing economic and political bonds between the two countries. 

 “Signing the MoU reflects the commitment of the two parties to boost economic cooperation and infrastructure in the region, which would lead to positive developments in various sectors. This would also improve transport and supply chains, including roads, ports among other logistic areas,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Abu Al Sebaa’ highlighted the role of the TAG-Confucius, indicating that it is the first institute acknowledged by the Chinese government for teaching and promoting Chinese language and culture in Jordan.  

"It is my pleasure to celebrate with you the Chinese New Year on behalf of HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh. This year marks the Year of the Dragon, symbolizing glory and fortune. As legends say this mythical creature’s good fortune should be sprinkled on all, but first we need to treat each other with kindness and compassion. As we celebrate the New Year, we will not forget our brothers and sisters in Gaza who face daily disasters. We also salute the role of China in supporting the Palestinian cause and rights and advocating for a two-state solution. We hope that this conflict comes to an end soon, allowing the Palestinian people to live in security and peace,” he said.

During the ceremony, TAG-Confucius’s students and teachers presented artistic performances portraying the Chinese heritage including singing, reciting poetry, and displaying traditional Chinese costumes. That is in addition to presenting the techniques of the Tai chi (also taiji), Chinese spiritual and physical exercises that are widely practiced by the Chinese people.

According to Chinese traditions, the Chinese Charge d’affaires and Cultural presented red envelopes containing cash (known as "hongbao" in Chinese) to the attending children.
The event concluded with a Chinese cuisine dinner.