Yesterday is an amazing day for 2015 Magical Winter Lights in Houston. Li Qiangmin, consul general of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston, extended invitations to the Consulates of all countries in Houston. With the strong support of the Consulate in Houston, Consul Generals and Deputy Consul Generals of more than 20 countries including France, Canada, Hungary, Slovenia, Bolivia, Israel, Colombia and Sri Lanka brought their families to our lantern festival and watched Chinese acrobatic performances. After the performance, guests took photos with leaders of the organizers, People Generation and the investment operator, Sichuan PG Salient Cultural Trade Co., Ltd.

The 2015 Magical Winter Lights in Houston was strongly supported by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston. Li Qiangmin took his wife, Li Guixi and Zhao Yumin, Deputy Consul General and heads of various departments of the Consulate General to the lantern festival site. This is the first time of Chinese Consulate General in Houston to attend and give so great supports to a lantern festival.

Zigong Lantern Festival with more than 1000-year history started from Tang and Song Dynasties, reached its prosperous time in Ming and Qing Dynasties and became Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Recent years, some people with lofty ideals dedicated to spreading the culture of Zigong Lantern Festival to overseas. The festival of the 2015 Magical Winter Lights in Houston pushed the scale and contends of Zigong Lantern Festival in overseas to the highest point. Whether it is the lantern designs or the overall lantern scale are more than any previous overseas exhibition, from the starting to now, the festival attracted tens of thousands of Houston citizens to visit, and the other visitors even came from the rest of the United States and neighboring Mexico. This festival was greatly recognized by audience.

The VIP night initiated by the Consulate General in Houston, pushed the 2015 Magical Winter Lights to another high point in the United States for its promotion to more countries in the world. We are grateful to the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston and it’s our honour to get the meticulous arrangements from Li Qiangmin and his wife ,Yang Song. We will live up to expectations and continue to hold this festival so that making more Houstonians, more Americans and people in more countries learn more about our Zigong Lantern Festival and the civilization essence of Chinese state-level intangible cultural heritage.