The China-Malaysia Spring Festival Gala is held in Malaysia, preheating for the upcoming Year of Horse. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong International Communication Center]

With the tagline "Enduring as water, together for the New Year", the China-Malaysia Spring Festival Gala was held in Malaysia on Dec 5, with representatives from both sides and Malaysian locals bridging cultural ties and strengthening China-Malaysia friendships.

The event, hosted by East China's Shandong province, the cradle of Confucianism, featured a series of culture activities such as intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, art performances that resonated cultural bonds between people of the two nations.

Representatives from China and Malaysia gather at the event to strengthen cultural bonds. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong International Communication Center]

China and Malaysia, as friendly neighbors, are advancing towards a higher-level strategic community, according to Zheng Xuefang, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Malaysia.

In the upcoming Year of the Horse, both countries will deepen strategic communication, promote practical cooperation, and jointly promote regional prosperity to bring more benefits to the people of both countries, he added.

A Malaysian dance group shows local cultural charm in an art performance at the event. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong International Communication Center]

Last December, UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, turning it into a global celebration. The launch of the Malaysian event marks the commencement of the overseas recording of the Shandong Spring Festival Gala.

In addition, before Spring Festival, Shandong Radio and Television Station will hold intangible cultural heritage exchanges, art shows and artist flash mobs in Malaysia to celebrate the global festival together.