Participants disguised as roosters hold Spanish flags as they perform during celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year, marking the year of the Rooster, in the Madrid's district of Usera on January 28, 2017. [Photo: cfp.cn]

The Chinese community in Madrid and people from around the world celebrated on Saturday the beginning of the Chinese New Year, welcoming the Year of the Rooster with several activities.

The events organized by associations, the Confucius Institute, the Chinese Embassy in Madrid and the city council, took place in Usera, a neighborhood in the south of Madrid where most of the Chinese in the capital live.

This area has around 10,000 Chinese inhabitants, according to sources from Madrid City Council, which emphasized the important participation of the community of this neighborhood in the celebration.

"The process has been very rich, there has been a huge participation of the Chinese community, when only in Usera there are 10,000 Chinese people,"the city councilwoman Rommy Arce said on Friday when presenting the program of activities.

Activities included a parade on Saturday, with more than 800 artists and four dragons, showing cultural diversity of the neighborhood.

Efe, a Spaniard who loves China and Chinese culture, saw last year's parade and decided to come back.

"I think these events should be promoted, more money should be invested, because I think people like it and if you organized more things, more people would come," he told Xinhua.

"These kinds of events bring cultures together and all different people who live in Madrid and it is good for all of us,"he stated.

Apart from the parade, there is an exhibition about "The Legend of Nian", a fair with workshops, food and craftwork and a gastronomic and cultural route that has been joined by 18 restaurants.

Music and dancing have also been part of the schedule to welcome the Year of the Rooster. A ceremony with Chinese lanterns will be held on Sunday.

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