The year 2025 marks the first Chinese New Year since its inclusion in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This year, Chinese and local employees working on Belt and Road projects across the Middle East came together to celebrate the festival.
In Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, the Iconic Tower, known as the tallest building in Africa, was illuminated to mark the occasion. In Saudi Arabia’s railway projects and Iraq’s oil fields, Chinese and foreign employees decorated their workplaces with traditional Chinese ornaments, hung lanterns, and made dumplings—a staple of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Similar festivities took place at the Hunutlu Thermal Power Plant in Turkey and various Chinese construction projects in the United Arab Emirates. The joy of Chinese New Year not only highlighted centuries-old traditions but also fostered cultural exchanges, bringing together people of different nationalities working on Belt and Road collaborations.
https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202501/31/WS679cc5c8a310be53ce3f3ee7.html