This year's traditional Chinese holiday, the Dragon Boat Festival, coincides with the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, just established by the United Nations (UN)."co-organized by the China Media Goup (CMG) and the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago.
Sarah Lande hosted a special family dinner to invite friends from China and the United States to sample Chinese food, celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, and experience traditional Chinese culture. China's Consul General in Chicago, Zhao Jian, attended the event and gave a speech. The event was attended by the Kimberleys, the Friends of Iowa in the United States, and Dan Stein, chairman of the Muscatine, Iowa, China Friendship Committee.
Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of CMG Shen Haixiong wrote a letter to Ms. Sarah Lande. In the letter, Shen Haixiong wrote that the Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. Various forms of activities are held around the world to immerse yourself in the Dragon Boat Festival and feel the magic of Chinese culture. Thank you for specially preparing a family dinner on this day and inviting friendly people from the United States and some representatives from CMG to taste Chinese food and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The relationship between countries lies in the friendship between people. CMG is willing to work with you and other American friends to build bridges to promote people-to-people ties, exchanges and mutual learning between China and the United States, and to write more wonderful chapters of friendship between these two nations.
Sarah Lande expressed her gratitude to the CMG Director for his letter. She said: "In 1985, at the same dining table where we are sitting tonight, I had the honour of hosting Mr Xi Jinping when he came to visit; in 2012, I welcomed then Vice President Xi Jinping back to my home. Over the past few decades, this place has witnessed friendly exchanges between the people of Iowa and the people of China. I learned that a few days ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by China to establish an International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, designating June 10 as the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations. And this year, this day is a traditional Chinese festival - the Dragon Boat Festival. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to invite Consul General Zhao Jian and Chinese friends as guests. I would like to thank CMG for hosting this event. Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival together, tasting traditional Chinese food and experiencing the culture of the Dragon Boat Festival, I think this is the best dialogue between the civilizations of China and the United States."
Ms. Sarah Lande accepted the invitation to CMG's "Written in the Sky" event and wrote "The U.S. and China make peace through friendship" on the spot, wishing that the friendship between the two nations will last forever.
To prepare for this special family dinner, Sarah Lande learned more about the history and cultural background of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and worked with a Chinese chef to design a unique menu.
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