The National Council of China Radio International Listener Clubs' Nepal, a non-government organization of Nepal, held a Chinese Film Festival in Kathmandu Saturday to mark traditional Chinese New Year.

 

Chinese film entitled The Postman in the Mountain and Chinese documentary entitled Spring Festival (traditional Chinese New Year) were shown at the conference hall of Information Department of Nepal in Sinamangal, downtown Kathmandu city.

 

"Despite huge differences in terms of their sizes and economic strength between Nepal and China, we have many similarities in culture as people of both countries celebrate Spring Festival," Radha Krishna Mainali, Nepali minister for Education and Sports said at the inaugural function of the festival.

 

The festivals are celebrated according to the lunar calendar in both countries, Mainali noted, adding, "We Nepali people worship cow, dog, crow, snake in different festivals in Nepal as Chinese people do."

 

Minister Mainali also expressed greetings to the Chinese government and people from the Nepali government and people on the occasion of coming Spring Festival.

 

"Nepali listeners of China Radio International (CRI) played an important role in disseminating information they got from CRI of China's latest development to their relatives and friends so that our people are brought closer and closer by further understanding each other," Sun Heping, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, said at the function.

 

"With the concerted efforts of our two governments and peoples, friendly relations and cooperation between our two countries and traditional friendship between our two peoples have been further developing and consolidated," Sun noted.

 

"I strongly feel that the friendship between the two countries has penetrated deep into hearts of people of the two countries," he added.

 

More than 100 people including listeners of CRI, journalists, representatives of other friendship organizations, Chinese teachers and technicians working in Nepal, participated the function.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2006)