Asian days celebrated in Lithuania's capital

Held in the Lithuanian capital city for the second time, the event presents cuisine, dancing and martial arts, among others, from eight Asian countries, namely China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Vietnam, Xinhua reports.

It will further promote exchanges and cooperation between Lithuania and Asia, said Huang He, Charge d'affaires of China's embassy to Lithuania, at a ceremony here. The Chinese official described Asia as a place with "splendid history and tradition" as well as "great potential for future cooperation" with Lithuania. Mayor of Vilnius, Arturas Zuokas, in an interview with Xinhua, said the event shows how close Lithuania and Asian countries are despite the distance between them. The Asian culture and arts presentations further embodied the existing agreements on exchanges between Vilnius and Asian cities, Zuokas noted. "I see great future and great possibilities for Asian countries in Lithuania, and to see Vilnius as a gateway for activities in Europe," he continued. Zuokas, who represented Vilnius to sign a sister city agreement with south China city of Guangzhou in 2006, said exchanges of cultural and political delegates between both cities have been active. He said he has been continuing to push forward connections between different cultures and different people. "We are living in one globe and we should understand them," he continued. At Friday's event, there is a long queue of local people waiting in front of booths of Chinese food which is increasingly popular in Lithuania. More than 100 Chinese restaurants are dotted across Lithuania, a Baltic country with a population of less than 3 million, according to an owner of five Chinese restaurants in the Lithuanian capital city. In China, Lithuania is enjoying a rising popularity, partly due to its rich amber produce and famous basketball coach Jonas Kazlauskas, who was born in Lithuania and is now coaching a team in China's Guangzhou city.