TEHRAN- The Chinese Embassy in Tehran held China-Iran Spring Music Concert titled "Chinese New Year Together" at the place of the embassy on Wednesday evening.

The event was participated by different groups, including a number of Iranian officials and their families as well as artists and journalists.

The concert included the performance of some pieces from the Chinese and Iranian music by a local music group from the Faculty of Music, University of Tehran.

Also, Dr. Babak Khazraei, the dean of the Music Faculty of Tehran Art University, delivered a speech on the relations between the Iranian and Chinese music.

And the following is the translation of the speech of His Excellency Mr. Cong Peiwu, Chinese Ambassador to Iran:

Esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends: Good evening to all! Welcome to the China-Iran Spring Music Festival at the Chinese Embassy. Today's event is unique in its kind. I hope that esteemed guests can experience three distinct images in this time and place.

The first image is the encounter of the Spring Festival with Nowruz.

Some time ago, we celebrated the Chinese New Year, which was the Year of the Snake. In the Chinese view, the Spring Festival has a long history, rich and impactful content. This festival in China embodies the most beautiful hopes for life and reflects the Chinese people's love and devotion to their family and country. This year's Spring Festival also had significant historical and global importance. In December last year, the Chinese Spring Festival was listed as an intangible cultural heritage. This action was not only a tribute to Chinese civilization but also a recognition of the unity among humanity, respect for nature, and shared human values ??for a better life. Today, nearly 20 countries have introduced the Spring Festival as an official holiday, and about one-fifth of the world's population celebrates this festival in various ways. Now the Spring Festival has increasingly become a symbol of Chinese culture that is widely recognized and celebrated worldwide.

A little over a month later, the people of Iran will celebrate Nowruz according to their ancient calendar. I have felt the joyful atmosphere and celebrations of this Iranian festival in Tehran. Nowruz, like the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival for Iranians, also listed as an intangible cultural heritage. On the day of the festival, Iranian families gather around the Haft-Seen table to welcome new things and new beginnings. They make blessings and celebrate the arrival of the new year together. Despite the thousands of miles of geographical distance between China and Iran, they share common aspirations for a better life. When the "Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner Together" meets the "Nowruz Haft-Seen Gathering," it manifests the friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations and the cultural exchanges between the two civilizations.

The second image is the encounter of the Chinese piece "Jasmine Flower" with the Iranian melody "Khazan".

From the past to the present, music has been one of the most important tools in cultural exchanges among nations; some traditional Chinese musical instruments have entered our country through the western regions of China along the ancient Silk Road. A few days ago, I visited the Tehran Music Museum and saw various instruments, including the "Dotar" and "Setar". Traditional and ethnic music of China and Iran is a phenomenon with "different songs but the same essence," which demonstrates the long history of friendly cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Today, we are very pleased to host a local music group from the Faculty of Music, University of Tehran, to enjoy their exceptional performance. This program is similar to the harmonious embrace of two sisters from among the world's cultural heritage, namely traditional Chinese music and traditional Iranian music; here, we not only listen to the melodies of the two countries but also mark a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The third image depicts the path of the ancient civilizations of China and Iran, which have transcended borders for thousands of years, hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder.

From ancient times, China and Iran have had close exchanges through the Silk Road. In 2016, the two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. In recent years, China-Iran relations have been developing at a significant pace, with high-level interactions between the leaders of the two countries, deepening mutual political trust, substantial progress in bilateral cooperation in various fields, and the friendship between the two nations rooting more deeply in the hearts of the people. Last year, President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, in a meeting with President Pezeshkian of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Kazan, reached an agreement on further deepening cooperation within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership, setting the course for the development of bilateral relations. Today, the development of friendly relations between the two countries is inseparable from your efforts. All of you are witnesses, participants, and builders of this friendly relationship.

And now, a word about children and teenagers who are the future of China-Iran relations. Today, we are honored to host the winners of the "China in the Eyes of Iranian Teenagers" illustration contest. These teenagers have depicted China with the brush of imagination and creativity, portraying their enthusiasm for China and their eagerness to continue the friendship between the two countries. Today, China is opening a vast prospect for modernization in its unique style. We hope that all our old and new friends, big and small, can see these phenomena up close by visiting China.

Esteemed guests, dear friends: President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, with the Global Civilization Initiative, emphasized strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation, promoting mutual understanding and friendship among peoples, to achieve the development and progress of human civilization in such an atmosphere. The meeting of the Chinese Spring Festival with Iranian Nowruz, the harmony of "Jasmine Flower" with "Khazan", shoulder to shoulder from the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative, are all examples of joint cooperation between the two nations spanning thousands of years. Let's together herald a new year and new prospects: Let the spring breeze of mutual exchanges of human civilizations forever flow between the lands of China and the Iranian Plateau; let the tree of win-win cooperation blossom more than ever at the farthest eastern and western ends of Asia. Finally, I wish all of you happiness and prosperity in the new year, with peace and well-being. I hope the friendship between China and Iran will always endure and reach new heights. Thank you all!