Published on : Monday, February 3, 2014
Berjaya Beau Vallon Resort, referred as hot spot of Chinese holiday makers was transformed on 31stJanuary into a riot of red colours to welcome the First edition of the Seychelles-China Day Celebrations and Chinese New year.
The official opening of the Seychelles-China Day Celebrations billed as a night of pulsating rhythms of lion dancers, artistic show by Shanghai Jinshan Art group and a wide array of Chinese food was arguably described as a thrilling success.
Officially opening the Festival, Pierre Laporte the Minister responsible for Finance, Trade and Investment, replacing Alain St.Ange, the Minister for Tourism and Culture who is on an official mission overseas, said that this festival is set to become an annual event in Seychelles.
“We sincerely hope that this festival will grow and become a major annual festive event, to showcase all aspects of Chinese Culture, which will enable the people of Seychelles – especially those with Chinese ancestry- to learn and appreciate all that China has to offer in the field of cultural exchange programmes. This will enable us to finally recognize our Chinese roots and ancestral connections’’ Pierre Laporte, the Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment said
Minister Laporte went on to say that the Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture has over the past several years, organised festivals that encourage the people of Seychelles to recognise and to re-connect with the country’s ethnic and cultural origins. He said that the Seychelles-China Day Celebrations completed the “firm circle of friends, with the five nations who make up Seychelles cultural and ethnic origins’’
“This being the semaine de la Francophonie, FetAfrik, Commonwealth Day, Seychelles-India Day Celebrations and now the Seychelles-China Day Celebrations, which we are launching for the first time today, all of which finally complete the firm circle of friends, with the five nations who make up our cultural and ethnic origins and which culminates in what we are celebrated in our Festival Kreol every October’’
The first Chinese immigrants arrived in Seychelles around 1886 and since then their descendants and other new immigrants are fully integrated.
The Seychelles-China Day Celebrations was conceptualised six months ago by Minister Alain St.Ange and Shi Zhongjun, the Ambassador to People’s Republic of China to give due recognition to Chinese community, the last branch of Seychelles origins we were not yet celebrating. Benjamine Rose, the Principal Secretary of Culture in her opening remark said that the Culture Department now ensures that the full circle of Seychelles origins is recognised.
“The Culture Department ensures that we give due recognition to all our forefathers. We are a multicultural nation and our descendants came mainly from France, Africa, England, India and China. These celebrations enables us to celebrate what we are today through our annual October Festival Kreol’’ Benjamine Rose, the Principal Secretary for Culture said
Source:- Seychelles Tourism
Tags: Seychelles tourism
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