2016年CRI Beverly Hills Kicks Off Chinese New Year Celebrations

 

Local business leaders in California say their state is a favorite destination for Chinese visitors. For 5 consecutive¹ years, the city of Beverly Hills has hosted events to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Last Friday, a special event kicked off a month of celebrations called "Happy Chinese New Year, - Charming Beijing."

The event was a collaboration² between various US and Chinese tourist organizations. Acts were brought in from Beijing to entertain the audience, among them dignitaries. A display of Chinese fashion and jewelry³ was also made available for guests to purchase.

Julie Wagner is CEO of the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau. She says the event is meant as a gesture of appreciation⁴ for local Chinese and Chinese visitors.

"It's our way of giving back to the local Chinese community. So many of them come and bring business to us and they stay with us and they shop with us and they bring people from overseas, family, friends and so it's just our way of saying, 'thank you so much' and it's a way for us to share the Chinese culture with the local Beverly Hills Community too."

Brand USA is an organization that promotes travel to the US. Its figures show 2.2 million Chinese visitors traveled to the US in 2014. Wagner adds that in 2014, Chinese visitors spent an average of 16 nights in California and spent over 2,000 US dollars there per person per visit.

Wagner expects 2018 will bring 1.8 million Chinese visitors to California alone.

The celebrations are also a good way to entice⁵ Americans to visit China.

"It's those things, the expressions of art, the expressions of drama, the expressions of writing and poetry that really bring people together. They evoke⁶ emotions that are universal. They are not unique to a particular country and although the expressions from the Chinese way of doing it, may be different from ours, I think we all learn from them and we all feel great about it."

Consul⁷ General Liu Jian of the Chinese Consulate⁸ in Los Angeles says he hopes these events will introduce to Americans the Chinese way of life.

"As countries, we are not only developing the economy, but culture is the bridge that connects two peoples, so I think that this is a very good practice, because now the Americans are well known in China through American English learning, but we hope that through those festivals and activities that more American people know China's history, China's culture and Chinese living."

The Year of the Monkey arrives on February 8 this year.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

1 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

3 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

4 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

5 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

6 evoke   

vt.唤起，引起，使人想起

参考例句：

• These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
• Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。

7 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

8 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。