A float from a Chinese performing group parades during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

CAPE TOWN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event.

Under the theme of "Lekker" -- an Afrikaans word that means nice, pleasant or enjoyable -- this year's carnival saw over 1,000 performers from various communities across the city taking part in a parade to celebrate diversity, creativity and cultural understanding.

The event featured massive floats, colorful costumes, and vibrant choreographed dance routines, attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors.

The Chinese performing group was the star of the evening. The dancing dragons, lions and pandas attracted strong applause and cheers from the audience wherever they went.

"China's performance was amazing!" said Nicolas Johnson and Val Andries, a local couple who had come to watch the parade.

"Yeah, the lights and the colors, and the dragon ... all those are amazing. Very good," said Johnson.

"I especially enjoyed all the lights. The costumes are amazing, the performers are doing a great job, and it was so awesome," Andries added.

Rachel Jafta, chairperson of the Cape Town Carnival, also expressed enthusiasm.

"The Chinese contribution to the Cape Town Carnival has been really central from the beginning. It brings an incredible skill and flaring beauty to the carnival," Jafta told Xinhua.

"The Chinese groups dance with the dragon and the fire ... it is always very popular. You just see the spectators' faces light up and the little kids get very excited when the dragon comes," she said. "So we're very proud to have the Chinese community as part of the Cape Town Carnival."

The Chinese community was instrumental in helping other groups in the city during the pandemic, she said, adding that "we are very grateful for that."

Dong Gang, the head of the Chinese performing group, told Xinhua at the scene that this was the sixth time the Chinese community had taken part in the carnival.

"As a major festival in the local cultural life of South Africa, the Cape Town Carnival provides us with a large platform to showcase our excellent traditional Chinese culture," said Dong.

"Especially since this year is the Year of the Dragon, we brought our 50-meter-long dragon to celebrate our culture with a confident feeling," he said. "At the same time, we can also feel that we have added our own colors to the local multiculturalism."

As noted by Jafta, the idea of the Cape Town Carnival was to create a platform for people from different backgrounds to come together, have fun and get to know each other better, so that the city can not only build more social cohesion but also create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Performers parade during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

A performer in a lion costume interacts with the audience during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Performers parade during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Performers parade during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Members of a Chinese performing group parade during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

A performer in a panda costume interacts with the audience during Cape Town Carnival 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 16, 2024. The annual Cape Town Carnival kicked off in the legislative capital of South Africa on Saturday evening with Chinese elements featured at the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)