The strong friendship between Greek and Chinese peoples was celebrated once again during the Christmas charity bazaar hosted at the Chinese embassy in Athens on Sunday.

In a show of solidarity with Greek people who are tested by an acute debt crisis since 2009, the Chinese business community in Greece organized a colourful charity event under the auspices of the embassy that won high praises by hundreds of people attending.

Du Qiwen, Chinse ambassador to Greece said the Chinese business people working in Greece are playing main roles in this bazaar.

"The Chinese business people got a lot of support and friendship from the Greek government and society when they set up business here. They want to show their gratefulness to the Greek society through this bazaar," said Du.

Amidst a wide variety of Chinese traditional products, ranging from fine silk garment to porcelain New Year decorations and delicious food, impressive music, dance and martial arts performances and a lottery, Chinese and Greek guests exchanged best wishes for the holidays and a better future for the two countries and people.

All income raised during the bazaar will be donated to "SOS Eliza Home," a Greek non-governmental organization that supports abused and neglected children.

"The Chinese community feel the pain the Greek people are sustaining and wish to do something to show that they are not alone in this difficult time, " said ambassadress Yang Guohua.

That was why she helped the business people contact the SOS children's home and provided the venue in Palaio Psychiko for the bazaar two weeks before Christmas.

Chinese nationals living in Greece have repeatedly supported good causes in many occasions over the past few years undertaking various initiatives, expressing eagerness to give back to their second "homeland."

Lan Xiaocheng, president of the Greek China Peaceful Unification Promotion Council, told Xinhua that the bazaar will promote the knowledge on Chinese community among mainstream Greeks.

"Furthermore, we want to give our love to this land where we have been living for many years," added Lan.

The initiative was made by all nine Chinese community organizations and supported by Chinese companies based in Athens and Thessaloniki. They want to show their gratefulness to Greek support for their businesses and the help their fellow citizens received when evacuating from Libya through Crete earlier this year.

Amongst Greeks attending Sunday's event was City of Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis, a close friend of Chinese ambassador Du Qiwen, as he explained to Xinhua.

In his first time in a charity bazaar held in an embassy, Kaminis tried on a Chinese traditional jacket, tasted Chinese tea and delicacies and was introduced to the art of Chinese calligraphy.

"I am delighted that so many people are here today and I hope that everything goes better next year and we meet again next year full of happiness, joy and full of hope," he told Xinhua, expressing confidence over the strengthening of ties between Greece and China.

Peggy Michailidou and Fereniki Balli were also newcomers in Chinese community in Greece events. They heard about the Christmas bazaar from Greek friends who are closely linked to China and Chinese living in Athens for years.

"It was a very positive initiative and I hope there will be more to come in the future," said Michailidou, stressing her admiration of Chinese history and culture. She loved the show of Greek young students of "Maria Kanatsouli" ballet school and Chinese Women's Association in Greece members who performed Chinese folk dances and songs.

In particular fond of traditional Chinese philosophy on the other hand, Balli left the bazaar with handmade ornaments engraved with wishes for prosperity, expressing hope for further boost in bilateral relations between Chinese and Greek people.

Greek elementary school pupils Danai and Stephania in the meantime queued up with their mom who learns the language, to have their names translated and written in Chinese calligraphy by Chinese experts living in Greece.

With big smiles on their faces, they cheered for the "magic gift," sending their best wishes to China.

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