A music festival, variety shows, concerts and parades were among the events announced by the Chinese consulate general in San Francisco on Thursday, all to celebrate the coming Spring Festival in the Bay Area, Seattle and Las Vegas from late January to early March.

The series of events, called "Happy Spring Festival", has been committed to attracting Americans to share in the festivities of the Chinese New Year since it was first introduced by China's Ministry of Culture in the US in 2010.

"In many countries, the Spring Festival has become a public holiday. It also serves as an important tie connecting Chinese at home and abroad," said Luo Linquan, China's consul general in San Francisco.

San Francisco was the first place in the US that embraced Chinese culture, and the cultural exchange between the Chinese and the American people has engaged an increasing number of local artists and arts groups on a larger scale, said Luo.

In February, the Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra from Beijing, at the invitation of the Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival, will perform at three programs in the Bay Area - the Celebration of Asia Concert, Family Concert and Chinese New Year Concert.

The world-renowned ensemble was created by some of the greatest masters of traditional Chinese music. As resident ensemble of the festival, the orchestra will showcase both traditional classics and adventurous new works, according to Jindong Cai, founder and artistic director of the festival and professor at the Center for East Asian Studies.

The festival is entering its 12th year and the Chinese New Year Concert has been held annually since starting four years ago, said Cai.

"The festival serves at a platform for the American people to understand the contemporary music life in China," said Cai. "By contemporary music life, I mean what role music plays in Chinese people's lives and how they preserve tradition while developing new works."

Throughout the series, more than 40 events will be held, including a Chinese New Year Celebration during an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, a food festival in Silicon Valley and the "Desert Spring Festival" in Las Vegas.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com