People participate in a flash mob on Jan 20, 2020 during the “Chinese Lantern, Highlight 2022” Cultural Day for the Beijing Winter Olympics in New York
NEW YORK, Dec 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — A Winter Olympics-themed Day was celebrated at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden in New York on Saturday, bringing the 2022 Winter Olympics closer to American citizens.
Organized by the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the event featured a photo exhibition and a lighting ceremony, impressing the audiences with the charm of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and winter sports.
Key elements of the 2022 Games, including cute images of the Games’ official mascots Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon, as well as many sports pictograms, were on display.
“The motto of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is ‘Together for a Shared Future.’ I believe that if we could play together, we could work together,” Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said at the event.
Huang also voiced his hope that “athletes around the world could happily meet and compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, so as to enhance mutual understanding and help build a better world.”
“The Olympic spirit of solidarity, friendship and peace not only inspires the athletes to exceed their physical limits, but also promotes mutual understanding across cultures and build a harmonious world,” said the Chinese diplomat.
Martha Neighbors, interim president and CEO at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, told Xinhua that the motto of the Games “Together for a Shared Future” is wonderful.
“I think that’s absolutely something for not just individuals, but communities and nations to aspire to,” she said, adding she wishes the Beijing Winter Olympics “a huge success.”
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will take place on Feb 4-20, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games on March 4-13.
The US, UK, Canada and Australia have said they will not send government representatives to the February games because of concerns over China’s human rights record.
France has no plans to join a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, President Emmanuel Macron said, adding any such move would be insignificant and merely symbolic. — NNN-XINHUA
