An Oscar-award-winning Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon inaugurated on Friday evening the Chinese Cultural Festival in the booming Village Market of Nairobi.
"Nice, interesting, wonderful," were the words frequently heard in the market's deluxe cinema, which was attended by Kenyan officials, foreign diplomats and people from all walks of life.
"This film is really an eye-opener for Chinese history and culture," said Mary Owino, a Kenyan Foreign Ministry official.
"The film is not only strong in action with its amazing martial arts, but also instructive in how to be an honest man," said FelixMwengi, a local journalist.
During the three-day event, various activities will be held including the screening of prestigious Chinese films, photographic exhibition of the 27 World Heritage sites in China, Chinese food charity bazaar and a small Chinese commodity fair.
"The cultural festival is the first of a series of activities to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya," said Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Du Qiwen at the inauguration ceremony.
The two countries established diplomatic ties on December 14, 1963, two days after Kenya gained independent from the colonial rule of Britain.
"Since that time, the two countries have maintained cordial relations of mutual benefits," said David Musila, the newly-elected deputy speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly.
He pointed to the fact that while trade can benefit the two countries economically, cultural exchanges would strengthen the friendship of the two peoples.
Over the past 40 years, China has provided precious support to the development of Kenya, he said, adding that the Moi International Sports Complex in Nairobi has stood as a symbol of China's assistance to Kenya.
Musila said that in the 21st century, the two countries should continue to enhance their relations in all aspects, pledging that the Kenyan parliament would play a leading role in this regard.
China is the biggest developing country in the world which is going through rapid modernization and industrialization, while Kenya is an important country in Africa with great development potentials, Du said.
"It is the belief shared by all involved in China-Kenya relations that the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries are, indeed, very bright and remarkable," the ambassador said.
(People's Daily January 18, 2003)
