The second Chinese New Year Parade was held on Saturday afternoon, Jan 28, 2017 in the Belgian capital of Brussels. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese New Year Parade held in Brussels

BRUSSELS - The second Chinese New Year Parade was held on Saturday afternoon in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

The parade was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, the municipal government of Brussels and associations of Chinese community in Belgium.

As Manneken Pis put on Tang suit, excited people held national flags of China and Belgium.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing, Belgian Minister of Budget Sophie Wilmes and Mayor of the City of Brussels Yvan Mayeur attended the opening ceremony of the parade.

Qu said that Chinese New Year activities help people of other countries better understand Chinese culture and the Chinese New Year is playing an ever increasing important role in the world.

Mayeur said he hoped the year of 2017 would be a year of peace and prosperity.

Xiang Shihai, cultural counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, said that the parade displayed Chinese culture, such as lion dance, martial arts, traditional Chinese costumes and folk music.

More than 1,300 people, both from China and Belgium, participated in the performance, said he.

The Chinese New Year parade lasted four hours and attracted tens of thousands of people.

The parade will also be held on Sunday in Dinant at the invitation of the city. There will be a reception held by the city to celebrate the Chinese New Year, or the Year of the Rooster.

During the reception, the government of the Walloon Region will present a statue of rooster, which symbolizes the region, to the Chinese side to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.