CELEBRATIONS ON STREETS

To mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year, a long parade was held in the Belgian city of Antwerp Saturday as part of the 2019 Spring Festival organized by the local Chinese community and Antwerp.

Antwerp, known as the "Diamond Capital" of the world, bristled with incandescent lights as the 2019 Spring Festival parade took the city by storm, with thousands of curious onlookers and Chinese residents taking part in the festivities.

"The Chinese community in our city has made a concerted choice to embrace and cherish the opportunities that this city offers. A new year celebration like this one, with music and dance, is an outstanding opportunity to get to know each other even better, value and respect each other even more," said Bart De Wever, mayor of Antwerp, who attended the parade.