The orchestra of the Gansu Dance Troupe. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Musicians of Gansu Dance Troupe from China kicked off the celebration of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, with a concert in Vilnus on Jan 28.

Held at Vilnius Town Hall in the Old Town, the national symphony concert is part of a cultural event entitled "Happy Chinese New Year," which was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Lithuania and China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Embassy of China in Lithuania to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Year of the Pig, which falls on Feb 5 this year.

Over 300 locals as well as local Chinese compatriots and students attended the concert, including Lithuanian Minister of Education and Science Algirdas Monkevicius and head of the Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with China Kestutis Glaveckas.

Opening the concert, Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania Shen Zhifei invited everybody to join in celebrating the Chinese New Year and enjoying the wonderful Chinese national music presented by the artists of the Gansu Dance Troupe.

Titled National Symphony "Strolling through Gansu", the concert features the typical characters of the famous Silk Road, including Flying Apsaras and the Silk Road, two masterpieces reflecting profound the influence of Chinese dance traditions as well as the history of the region.

Fascinated by the brilliant performance, the audiences reacted with big applause and cheers as well as standing ovation, and the two local songs "Willow on the hill" and "Homeland,

The orchestra of the Gansu Dance Troupe, which has toured more than 30 countries and regions for culture exchange programs, will end its tour in Lithuania on Jan 29 by presenting in Plunge, a city in northwestern part of Lithuania.