Photo taken from the Volksgarten shows the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria, on April 23, 2021.Photo:Xinhua

A virtual event opened in Vienna on Monday to mark United Nations (UN) Chinese Language Day and promote the Chinese language and culture.

The Colorful Yunnan, Showcase for Global Development event was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of China in Vienna, UN Information Service Vienna and the government of China's Yunnan Province.

More than 200 delegates, including officials, scholars and representatives from international organizations, attended the opening ceremony of the event virtually.

Wang Qun, China's permanent representative to the UN in Vienna, said at the ceremony that event is aimed to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties and to highlight the value of diversity and solidarity.

Wang added that Yunnan Province boasts beautiful natural scenery, diverse cultures and green ecology, and offers a window into China's high-quality development in recent years.

Ghada Waly, director-general of the UN Office at Vienna and executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said at the ceremony that Chinese, as one of the official UN languages, plays an important role in multilateral diplomacy at the UN in Vienna.

 Waly also welcomed the focus of 2022 event on Yunnan and the sustainable development. The opening ceremony also featured singing and ethnic dance performances by artists from Yunnan.

The event will run through Friday, according to the organizers.

Xinhua