STORY: Chinese Spring Festival serves as bridge connecting world: Croatia's association president
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 10, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 12, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:24
LOCATION: Zagreb
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Branko Balon, president of the Croatian-Chinese Friendship Society for Cultural, Scientific and Economic Cooperation
2. SOUNDBITE (English): BRANKO BALON, President of the Croatian-Chinese Friendship Society for Cultural, Scientific and Economic Cooperation

STORYLINE:

Last December, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Branko Balon, President of the Croatian-Chinese Friendship Society for Cultural, Scientific, and Economic Cooperation, hailed the move and called the Spring Festival "a bridge connecting the world." 

SOUNDBITE (English): BRANKO BALON, President of the Croatian-Chinese Friendship Society for Cultural, Scientific, and Economic Cooperation
"This is a really amazing and fabulous thing that UNESCO has added the Spring Festival and the celebration of Chinese New Year to its list of intangible (cultural) heritage of humanity.
It shows not only that it is the acknowledgment of the Chinese cultural roots, but also it is an idea that carries the connection of the whole world.
It is well known in many countries in the world, not only where the Chinese people live, not only in the Chinese community all over the world, but also in European countries as well in our country in Croatia.
In Croatia, we are privileged to experience this spirit of the Chinese Spring Festival, where with our friends, Chinese friends, with the Chinese community, we can learn from them about their traditions. And I think it is also the bridge between our two countries."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Zagreb.
(XHTV)