Visitors interact with exhibitors in front of the cultural booth of The Republic of Equatorial Guinea at the 2023 Spanish Day on June 3, 2023. Photo: Li Yuche/GT

The 2023 Spanish Day, an event that promotes the cultural and lifestyle exchanges between China and 15 Spanish-speaking countries, recently kicked off at the Instituto Cervantes (Cervantes Institute) in Beijing.

The event showcased 15 booths brimming with cultural products from Spanish-speaking countries, including Peru, Chile, Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Each booth offered visitors the opportunity to savor and experience a slice of the country's authentic local culture, featuring delectable cuisine and exquisite handicrafts.

Led by the Embassy of Spain in Beijing, the 2023 Spanish Day offered several activities including a performance that combined flamenco dance with Beijing Opera. These events drew Chinese visitors close to the passionate and diverse cultures of Spanish speaking countries.

Rafael Dezcallar, Spanish ambassador to China, opened the event with a speech to highlight his pursue of better and deeper China-Spain cultural exchanges. 2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

In terms of the number of language users, Spanish is the second largest language in the world. The Instituto Cervantes in Beijing is the event's organizer. Founded in 1991 in Spain, the cultural institution has been franchised in around 30 non-Spanish-speaking countries with the aim of promoting Spain's cultural legacies such as language and literature.