Seychelles China Day Bazaar Draws Large Crowd at National History Museum
VICTORIA, Seychelles — A large crowd gathered at the National History Museum’s car park on Saturday to enjoy a variety of traditional Chinese foods, artefacts, cultural sounds and performances at the 11th Seychelles-China Day bazaar. The annual event is held at the beginning of February as part of activities to celebrate the Seychelles-China Day and the Chinese lunar year, which in 2024 is the year of the dragon. The dragon is renowned as a symbol of power and success, embodying resilience and determination, and the choice of date for the bazaar reflects the central place of the lunar new year in the cultural calendar of the Chinese community in Seychelles.
The event was a collaboration between the Chinese Embassy in Seychelles, the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts (Snicha), the Chinese Association of Seychelles, and the Office of the Mayor of Victoria. Vice President Ahmed Afif, Speaker of the National Assembly Roger Mancienne, Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles Lin Nan, ministers, members of the National Assembly, members of the diplomatic corps, and other dignitaries joined members of the public for the opening of the bazaar. The breadth of the official representation is being read as a sign of the importance of the bilateral relationship at the level of cultural diplomacy, and of the central place of the bazaar in the country’s cultural calendar.
The opening ceremony included the performance of two songs by the Seychelles National Choir, a dragon and lion dance by a group of youths who underwent training in the art of lion and dragon dances, and a Tai Chi demonstration by personnel from the Confucius Institute at the University of Seychelles. The performances were the centrepiece of the formal programme, and gave the assembled guests a vivid sense of the breadth of Chinese traditional culture. The presence of the dragon and lion dance team is a particular point of pride, as the performers are Seychellois youths who were trained locally in the art.
In her opening statement, the chairperson of the Chinese Association of Seychelles, Rose-Mary Lee-Bluemner, said the bazaar serves as a platform for cultural exchange, fostering mutual understanding and goodwill between the two communities. It is through events like this that we can build bridges of friendship and enrich our lives with new experiences, she said. For her part, the permanent secretary of Snicha, Cecile Kalebi, said the bazaar is a reminder of the strong historical ties and friendship that Seychelles has with China. She commended the vibrant partnership and collaboration of many projects between Snicha and the Chinese embassy in Seychelles that have helped deepen the cultural ties between the two peoples.
Taking the podium, Ambassador Lin Nan, in her first appearance at a Seychelles-China Day bazaar since her accreditation in December 2023, said she was happy to note the bazaar is warmly welcomed by the local community, regarded as an iconic cultural event and served as a window through which Seychellois people can better understand Chinese culture and appreciate the charm of China. She added that it also serves as a bridge that connects the Chinese community and the local people with affinity and friendship, and is also a moment of reunion by the two peoples in joining hands to create a better future with stronger bonds, mutual understanding and trust. The embassy intends to continue to support the bazaar in the years ahead, and to work with local partners to broaden the programme.
