Year of the Horse celebration strengthens China-Egypt cultural ties, friendship

The celebration began with a group of Chinese teachers performing the song "Friends Like You," as hundreds of Egyptian students in the audience joined in singing.

"We are not only teachers who teach Chinese but we gradually become friends with our students," Yuan Xi, a Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute of Ain Shams University, told Xinhua.

She added that hosting the Chinese New Year celebration in Egypt helps share Chinese culture and deepen the bond between the two nations.

"The students are not only learning the language, but also learning a different culture and making Chinese friends," said the Chinese teacher.

Other performances included Chinese poetry recitals, martial arts demonstrations, and humorous sketches depicting student life in Egypt. Two Egyptian students also performed a traditional Chinese dance.

"Studying Chinese is not an end. We also learn about the culture and the people. The more we learn, the more we love it. It's a very enjoyable experience," Knooz Mostafa, an Egyptian student who participated in the performance and previously studied in China, told Xinhua.