BRUSSELS, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese national anthem echoed through Brussels' historic center on Thursday afternoon as Manneken-Pis - the Belgian capital's iconic little bronze statue - donned traditional Chinese attire to mark China's National Day.
Just a short walk from the Grand-Place, the unusual sight quickly drew a crowd. Tourists paused to take photos and videos of the tiny landmark in its Chinese outfit, while the sound of familiar Chinese melodies brought many Chinese visitors closer.
When a brass band struck up the Chinese national anthem, several Chinese visitors joined in singing. Some raised their phones to capture the moment; others quietly wiped away tears.
The Chinese Embassy in Belgium and the City of Brussels jointly held a dressing ceremony for Manneken-Pis to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than 200 guests, local residents and tourists attended the event, including Li Yan, Charge d'Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, and Brussels City Councillor Sevket Temiz.
The ceremony tapped into a tradition deeply woven into Brussels' identity. Manneken-Pis has a wardrobe of more than 1,200 costumes from around the world and is regularly dressed for festivals, commemorations and international occasions.
On Thursday, his traditional Chinese costume offered a distinctly Brussels way of marking China's National Day.
For Temiz, the small statue captured something larger about Brussels. "Seeing him dressed like this is a beautiful gesture of rapprochement between our countries and our cultures," he said.
Describing Brussels as an open city where languages, traditions and life stories intersect, Temiz said residents of Chinese origin, as well as Chinese merchants and entrepreneurs, have contributed to the city's diversity and the vitality of its neighborhoods.
"Beyond this day of celebration, it is encounters and exchanges that give all their strength to the ties between our peoples," he said.
Li said that Manneken-Pis has long been familiar to many Chinese people. This year's event also coincided with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium.
She said China values openness, inclusiveness and friendship with people around the world, and stands ready to work with Belgium and other countries to write more chapters of friendship through mutual learning among civilizations.
Angelina Chan, a member of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, told Xinhua that China and Belgium share a strong friendship and should continue to build on it, noting that the two countries have complementary strengths and broad potential for cooperation.
Music provided another bridge between the two cultures. Belgium's Meyboom brass band performed both the Chinese national anthem and the traditional anthem of Manneken-Pis before turning to familiar Chinese melodies, including "Ode to the Motherland" and "Jasmine Flower."
For some Chinese tourists who happened upon the ceremony, the celebration was entirely unexpected. They had come to see one of Brussels' best-known landmarks, only to find Manneken-Pis dressed in Chinese attire on China's National Day. Some immediately sent videos of the scene to family and friends back home.
The ceremony also stirred memories for people in the crowd with their own connections to China.
A Belgian couple from Liege said they had visited Shanghai about a decade ago and still remembered the trip fondly. "We hope to take our children on a trip to China during next year's summer holidays," they told Xinhua. ■