WINDHOEK, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-African Cultural Exchange event in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, on Saturday combined Chinese and Namibian traditions into an enjoyable Chinese New Year celebration.
At a camp of the China Railway Seventh Group on the southwestern outskirts of Windhoek, the half-day event turned a worksite setting into a festive community space.
It brought together local residents and the company's Chinese and Namibian employees to share the joyful and peaceful spirit of the Spring Festival.
Dragon and lion dances, Kung fu, and a cappella music drew cheers from the crowd.
Meanwhile, displays of Chinese costumes and cuisine-along with hands-on stations for calligraphy, tea culture, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, paper-cutting, mask painting, and dumpling-making-kept visitors engaged throughout the event.
For Selma Mukwiilongo, a 20-year-old university student, this event was a significant cultural experience.
"I have never been fully exposed to Chinese culture, so it was a new experience which shifted my perspective about Chinese culture," she said, reflecting on her experience of painting a Chinese face mask and learning to make dumplings.
Maria Damases, a resident of Windhoek, also took the opportunity to try acupuncture for the first time during the event. She was driven by curiosity and pain to try something new.
"I had minor discomfort in my neck, but after a few needle sessions, I feel better. It is a form of therapy that I will fully go for soon," she said.
The event, themed "Building dreams together, embracing cultural integration," also served as a platform to highlight China-Namibia cooperation on connectivity infrastructure projects, particularly in road construction and improved links between communities.
Oshoveli Hiveluah, an official from Namibia's Roads Authority, said that the relationship between Namibia and China has a longstanding history built on solidarity and mutual respect.
"This partnership has been very real and very tangible, written not just in diplomatic communiques, but in kilometers of road, bridges, and infrastructure that connect our communities and drive our national development," he said.
From the government's perspective, the Chinese-African Cultural Exchange event also supports efforts to promote cultural heritage and deepen exchanges.
M'kariko Amagulu, director of arts at the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, highlighted the event's role in promoting the richness and diversity of Chinese culture to a broader audience.
According to her, this cultural exchange underscores a commitment to nurturing the longstanding ties between Namibia and China, paving the way for future collaborations rooted in shared values and mutual respect.
"Culture is a bridge that enables people-to-people interaction, and this event ties in with the core ethos of the Ministry, befitting its commencement as part of the celebration of the Chinese New Year," she said.
The event also held significance in the broader context of China-Africa relations, as the 2026 Year of the Horse coincides with the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
This underscores the importance of cultural understanding in fostering bilateral ties, said Wei Jinming, economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Namibia.
The counsellor noted that the relationship between China and Namibia has always been unbreakable.
"Yet, the true foundation of this partnership extends far beyond official agreements and documents," he said. "It is rooted in the handshakes exchanged at project sites, the professional camaraderie nurtured through daily collaboration, and the mutual respect for each other's cultural heritage." ■
