China's cultural show entertains passengers at Ethiopia's railway station

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Train passengers on Saturday were left excited as a cultural troupe from central China's Henan Province staged a colorful show at Furi Labu Railway Station, west of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The cultural show at the Chinese-built railway station entertained passengers from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa city of Ethiopia and neighboring Djibouti.

The show, as part of the Chinese New year celebrations, was also attended by Chinese staff, working shoulder to shoulder with Ethiopian colleagues at the railway station.

Nuhamit Mengistu, one of the passengers, told Xinhua that she was excited to experience a Chinese cultural troupe performing live at the railway station.

"I really enjoyed the Chinese cultural show and I would like to see it again next year," Mengistu told Xinhua before boarding the train to Dire Dawa.

A Chinese language graduating student at Addis Ababa University Temesgen Yitayew said he was so delighted to see the Chinese cultural troupe performing different shows, especially acrobatics.

"As you can see, I am carrying the national flags of China and Ethiopia to portray that there is growing cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries," Yitayew said.

Shen Qinmin, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said such shows will help promote cultural exchanges among peoples of China and Ethiopia, noting that the show is the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dragon.

"I think this is a great opportunity for the peoples of the two countries to come together and appreciate the cultures of one another," Shen said.

Abdi Zenebe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway Share Company, told Xinhua that the Chinese cultural show has brought festivity and good atmosphere to the railway station and surrounding community, emphasizing that the cultural show offers a huge opportunity to acquaint one another's culture of China and Ethiopia.

"The Chinese New Year is approaching and for that the Chinese brothers are showing and bringing the tradition of China to our passengers here. It was very good entertainment," Zenebe said.

In accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar, the year 2024 will be the Year of the Wood Dragon, with the Spring Festival or New Year's Day to fall on Feb. 10.