Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai on Thursday expressed gratitude to China for providing emergency relief supplies to help the Pacific island nation recover from a destructive earthquake that struck last month.
On Dec 17 last year, Vanuatu was hit by a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake which killed 14, injured more than 200, and severely damaged the country's urban infrastructures.
The relief which arrived at Vanuatu by a Chinese cargo plane, included tents, folding beds, water purifiers, instant food, and medical equipment.
The handover ceremony, which was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang and Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, marked the official transfer of a 35-tonne shipment of Chinese aid to Vanuatu.
Acknowledging that China has provided timely assistance at a critical moment, Salwai said the newly arrived aid serves as a testament to the strong bond of friendship between the two nations, which has grown stronger since the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1982.
"Our Chinese friends arrived with 35 tonnes of goods.The relationship between China and Vanuatu since 1982 continues to grow and it's at its highest this time and we are so happy [to receive these supplies]," said Salwai.
The emergency relief supplies will be distributed to affected residents as early as possible, he added.
In the wake of the quake, the Chinese government has already provided one million U.S. dollars in emergency assistance and sent four engineering experts to Vanuatu to support its disaster response and reconstruction efforts.
Vanuatu's PM expresses gratitude for China's disaster relief
The tradition of appreciating beautiful lanterns during Spring Festival celebrations has kept China's lantern workshops busy in the last lunar month in the run-up to the Year of the Snake.
In Zhangzhou City of east China's Fujian Province, a special lantern show was staged on Friday night.
A 100-meter-long golden snake-shaped boat made with 2,025 lanterns sailed on the river, stopping residents and tourists passing by to watch and pray.
Meanwhile, a flyboard rider in gorgeous clothing presented a fire pot performance, a national-level intangible cultural heritage, illuminating the river with sparks.
"The fire pot performance and the lantern show, one dynamic and the other static, are particularly charming in this environment," said Zheng Chenghong, a tourist.
"I'm very excited and happy to watch this performance combining water jet pack and fire pot," said Chen Jinwei, a local resident.
In Hejin City of north China's Shanxi Province, more than 20 craftspeople at a cultural center are busy making rotating lanterns, a national-level intangible cultural heritage.
As the process is very complicated, it usually takes 10 craftspeople a day to make one lantern.
"This is a new work we've created this year. It's called 'all flowers in full bloom.' Despite the small size, the lantern is very hard to make, as it involves a dozen of processes. The papercut fish on the lantern symbolizes a wish for abundance, and the lantern is very beautiful when it whirls," said Li Erpeng, an inheritor of the craftsmanship.
In Taigu District, Jinzhong City of Shanxi, a workshop has used 3D printing technology in lantern production, cutting down on production time from more than 10 days to just one or two days.
The Spring Festival, the most important traditional festival in China, will fall on Jan 29. The year 2025 will mark the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
Festive lanterns in hot demand as Chinese New Year nears
