Bedecked with traditional Chinese lanterns and knots, Malta's National Theatre embraced the spirit of the Lunar New Year festival with a special folk concert featuring some of China's best-loved musical instruments.

Wednesday's event, which forms part of "The 2008 Chinese Spring Festival in Valletta", Malta's capital, was attended by Maltese President Edward Fenech Adami, former president Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Chinese Ambassador to Malta Chai Xi and diplomatic envoys to Malta from other countries.

Chinese artists put on a mesmerizing performance of traditional Chinese music to a Maltese audience playing classical instruments like the Erhu, also known as the Chinese violin, and the Chinese dulcimer.

The musicians also played a classical Maltese folk suite, which was warmly received by the audience.

"The 2008 Chinese Spring Festival in Valletta", the second of its kind following similar activities in 2007, is being jointly organized by the China Cultural Center in Malta, and the Valletta municipal government.
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(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2008)