Moscow and Beijing have summed up the results of joint intercultural festivals

The Chinese New Year in Moscow festival has ended. The festive events took place from February 16 to March 1 and brought together more than 60 venues, said Deputy Mayor Natalia Sergunina.

"This year, the capitals of Russia and China celebrated spring together by organizing cross-cultural festivals. Residents and guests of Beijing were invited to the celebration of Maslenitsa. At the same time, events were held in Moscow in honor of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar," Natalia Sergunina noted.

The event was organized by the Moscow Government with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Russia.

In turn, the Moscow Maslenitsa in Beijing festival was held from February 19 to 22 in the capital of China. Musical and vocal performances, workshops and pancakes with various fillings were prepared for the guests. Visitors were also offered a virtual walk around Moscow using augmented reality technologies.

"Maslenitsa carries the sincere aspirations of the Russian people to see off winter and welcome spring, which echoes the wonderful traditions of the Chinese people to celebrate the New Year and gather with their families. This year, Beijing and Moscow held distinctive traditional celebrations in the two capitals. We hope that the cultural exchange will contribute to the further development of the mutual tourist flow between the two cities," said Guo Huaigang, head of the Beijing Department of Culture and Tourism.

At the opening ceremony of the festival, representatives of the two capitals signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of tourism. The document provides for the organization of joint exhibitions and industry events, the use of digital resources to promote projects, the exchange of best practices and guided tours for specialists in the hospitality industry.

The celebrations of Chinese New Year and Maslenitsa were included in the program of the Winter in Moscow project, which brought together 32 million people. More than 57,000 charity, family, children's and sports events were held within its framework.

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