MINSK, 30 January (BelTA) - The Oriental Calendar postal project will promote cultural exchange between China and Belarus, Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Xie Xiaoyong said at a ceremony to dedicate the Year of the Dragon stamp from the Oriental Calendar series. The ceremony was held at the Republican Confucius Institute of Sinology of Belarusian State University on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
"I am very happy to take part in this ceremony. On behalf of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Belarus, I would like to warmly congratulate on the success of this event and thank the Communications and Informatization Ministry for the long-term project to release a series of postage stamps depicting animals of the Chinese horoscope Oriental Calendar, thus promoting cultural exchange between China and Belarus," the diplomat said.
Ambassador Xie Xiaoyong noted that the Chinese New Year will be ushered in on 10 February. "The symbol of the coming year according to the Chinese calendar is the dragon. The dragon has a very important place in Chinese culture. It is a deeply revered mythical creature with rich cultural connotations. In its appearance, the dragon combines the characteristics of various animals and represents the highest nobility and authority," the diplomat noted.
He also pointed out: "Symbolically, the dragon represents wisdom, courage and good fortune, as well as the power to overcome difficulties and achieve great goals. In ancient China, the dragon was a symbol of imperial power. The emperor's ceremonial robes and the imperial throne with the dragon image symbolized supreme power. In folk legends, the dragon can control natural phenomena and has an important influence on agriculture. So the dragon is also a symbol of harvest and abundance".
