As China celebrates the traditional Lunar New Year, a grand carnival is taking place at Parque Francisco Arias Paredes in the City of Panama. On February 17, a Chinese-style celebration was held at the park, officially kicking off the 2019 “Happy Chinese New Year - Shanghai Culture Week” in the city.

(Culture and Education Director of Panama City Alexandra Schjelderup, Panama City Acting Mayor Raisa Banfield, China’s Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang, and Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism Deputy Director Jin Lei attend the celebration ceremony.)

China’s Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang, Panama City Acting Mayor Raisa Banfield, Culture and Education Director of Panama City Alexandra Schjelderup, Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism Deputy Director Jin Lei, and other guests from both China and Panama attended the celebration ceremony, together with hundreds of local citizens who were impressed by the incredible Sichuan mask dance, kunqu opera, and wushu (martial art) performances given by a delegation of performers from Shanghai.

（A kunqu artist performs “The Peony Pavilion” on stage.）

（A Sichuan mask dancer interacts with the audience.）

（People take their phones out to take pictures of the performances.）

The event is based on the “Cities of Water” Cultural Exchange Program initiated by the City of Panama, which is selected as the 2019 Iberoamerican Capital of Culture coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the city’s foundation. The program highlights the cultural and artistic heritage of 12 world port cities (one per month). As one of the participating cities, Shanghai is showcasing its unique culture to the Latin American city.

The Shanghai Culture Week will feature special performances, celebrations, and cultural, tourism and trade promotions. Panamanians will receive the warmest greetings from Shanghai while enjoying Chinese and Shanghai-style culture presented in different forms. This is the first time for the Shanghai Culture Week to take place in Panama since China and Panama established diplomatic relations in 2017.

（At a booth, colorful lanterns are popular among local citizens, as the Lantern Festival is approaching.）

（Chinese calligraphy on fans attracts the audience.）

（“Upcycled” art made from cans is both beautiful and environmental friendly.）

（Guests pose for a photo with pastry chefs from Shanghai.）

From February 16 to 20, citizens in Panama City will have an opportunity to enjoy Chinese folk music, kunqu opera, Sichuan mask dance, wushu (a martial art), and stunning art crafts like dough sculptures, paper cutting, artistic calligraphy, and lanterns. Also, they will be salivating at authentic Chinese food and Shanghai snacks.

In public facilities nearby the park, artists and craftsmen from Shanghai, and chefs from Shanghai’s well-known restaurants, will interact with community residents and school students to celebrate the Chinese New Year together.

During the Shanghai Culture Week, a photo exhibition is also open to the public. Themed “Glorious Journey,” it features around 100 photographs documenting the 70 most remarkable moments that have happened in Shanghai from 1949 to 2019. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the photo exhibition will tour in other countries after its debut in Panama City.

（Panama City is the first leg of the photo exhibition’s global tour.）

（Local citizens take a look at the photos.）

（A group photo of guests attending the celebration ceremony）

Jointly hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Panama, and the Municipal Government ofPanama City, the 2019 “Happy Chinese New Year – Shanghai Culture Week” is held by Eastday and the Shanghai Cultural Fellowship.

As Panama’s largest economic center, Panama City shares many similarities with Shanghai, especially in shipping, trade, finance, and tourism. In 2018, the two cities signed a “Letter of Intent for Friendly Exchange and Cooperation” to further promote interaction between each other at city levels.