Ambassador and Mrs Lan with Hon. and Mrs. Stockwell Day, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ignatieff

On the eve of March 8, 2010, "the 2010 Spring Festival Gala Concert" presented by China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra in the National Arts Center, the art sanctuary in Canada, achieved great success. The concert officially kicked off a series of grand celebrations of the 40th anniversary of China-Canada diplomatic ties throughout the year.

Hon. Noël A. Kinsella delivered a speech

Present at the concert were H.E. Lan Lijun, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Chief Justice Rt. Hon. Beverly McLachlin, Hon. Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, Hon. Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, Hon. Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-pacific Gateway, Mr. Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party, Mme Maria Barrados, President of the Public Service Commission of Canada, more than dozen members from the Canadian Parliament and around 2000 representatives from the commercial, cultural, educational organizations and overseas Chinese community in Canada.

Ambassador Lan delivered a speech

At the pre-concert VIP reception, Ambassador Lan Lijun, Hon. Noël A. Kinsella and Hon. Stockwell Day and several other guest speakers delivered speeches, in which they paid tribute to Chinese immigrant workers for their contribution to the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway and to Dr. Norman Berthune for his sacrifice for China's Anti-Japanese War cause. They also reviewed the great achievements of China-Canada friendship and cooperation in political, economic, social and other fields and potential of the two countries' mutually beneficial cooperation in the future. Ambassador Lan noted that China-Canada relationship is at a new starting point and faces new opportunities. Both sides should take a strategic and long-term perspective, respect each other, deepen cooperation and strive for progress hand in hand so as to push China-Canada relations to a new height.

Hon. Stockwell Day delivered a speech

Ambassador Lan and Hon. Stockwell Day jointly cut the ribbon to launch the exhibition of "40 Years of China-Canada Diplomatic Relations". The exhibition displayed photos which recorded the historic "ice-breaking" moment of Canada's export of wheat to China in the 1960s and many other major events. The audience, including Mme. Margaret Trudeau, wife of former Prime Minister Pier Trudeau, and the rest of the Trudeau family, were deeply impressed.

Ambassador Lan with Trudeau's family

Canada's Governor General Her Excellency the Rt. Hon. Michaëlle Jean and Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent their greetings to this event. The Governor General noted that for 40 years, Canada and China have seen diplomatic ties flourish, thanks to an increasing partnership in all sectors of society, including the arts, education and business. P.M. Harper wrote, "This wonderful evening of beautiful music is a great opportunity to share Chinese culture with the people of Ottawa. Last December, I was honored to lead an official Canadian delegation to China. During my visit, I gained a deeper appreciation for the rich heritage..." and "This year, we will have an opportunity to celebrate these bonds as we mark the 40th anniversary of Canada-China diplomatic relations."

The concert program ranged from traditional Chinese music such as "Dance of Yao people", "Jasmine", "Hua Bangzi of Hebei", "As the Moon rises", "Northwest Suite" to Mozart's Serenade for strings in G Major, Johann Strauss's Pizzicato Polka and other Western musical pieces. The Chinese artists' exquisite skills and oriental flavors of the traditional Chinese musical instrument fascinated all audiences.

After all the scheduled programs, the Chinese artists returned to the stage and played three more famous music pieces, as a token of appreciation for the audience's non-stop applause. The Orchestra's principle conductor, Mr. Pang Ka Pang's live interaction with the audience pushed the concert to the climax.