BERLIN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- "Happy Chinese New Year", a series of cultural event to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival (or Lunar New Year), kicked off in downtown Berlin on Friday.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken wished everyone "a happy Spring Festival", while taking stock of development of bilateral ties in recent years.

He stressed that cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries play increasingly crucial roles in bringing people from two sides closer, and sound people-to-people ties lay the very foundation for bilateral relations.

The gala featured singing, dancing, and music performed by the art troupe from southwest China's Guizhou Province, bringing about the musical traditions of ethnic minority groups living there.

Guizhou, with a population of about 36 million, has been home to many ethnic minority groups.

The event also provided visitors with opportunities to learn Chinese calligraphy and paper-cutting.

German girl, Cordula, told Xinhua while waiting in the line for a calligraphy work of her phonetically-translated Chinese name, that it's the second year she took part in the "Happy Chinese New Year" events and that she found the ethnic dancing "spectacular".

The Chinese Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 25 this year.