Consumers select New Year decorations at a market in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 8, 2019. (File photo: Xinhua)

ULAN BATOR, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Singers, musicians and figure skaters from China kicked off the celebration of Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, with a performance here on Saturday.

The performance is part of a cultural event entitled "Happy Chinese New Year," which was organized by Chinese embassy in Mongolia and the Chinese Cultural Center to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival or Year of the Pig.

Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming and Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sports Ganbold Ganbayar attended the opening ceremony.

"People of our two countries celebrate the Lunar New Year widely. This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year would exactly coincide with the Mongolian Lunar New Year, known locally as the White Moon," Xing said.

Calling the year of 2019 "special" for both countries, Xing said the year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia, expressing his hope that the two countries will further deepen bilateral ties and wide-ranging cooperation to benefit both peoples.

For his part, Ganbayar described the cultural event as an important one to strengthen friendship between the two peoples, and wished all Chinese people a happy Lunar New Year.

The Spring Festival is the most important holiday in China, and falls on Feb. 5 this year.