Chinese Minister of Culture Luo Shugang (R) shakes hands with Spanish Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Inigo Mendez de Vigo after signing an agreement over bilateral cultural cooperation in the years between 2018 and 2021, in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 29, 2018. (Xinhua/Guo Qiuda)

MADRID, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Ministry of Culture will cooperate with local partners to hold a series of events -- including galas, exhibitions and temple fairs -- in more than 400 cities of 129 countries and regions to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 16.

The program, introduced by the Ministry of Culture, is called Happy Spring Festival and is aimed at engaging international audiences in the festivities and the Chinese culture.

Minister of Culture Luo Shugang, who is visiting Spain from Sunday to Wednesday, said Happy Spring Festival activities had been welcome by people worldwide over the years, hoping that more overseas audience could understand the festival's core values of joy and harmony.

Luo made the remarks when addressing the inauguration ceremony of this year's Happy Spring Festival, held at the Chinese Cultural Center in this Spanish capital, which was also attended by Spanish Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Inigo Mendez de Vigo.

An arts and cultural exhibition focusing on central China's Hunan Province was opened at the same time at the Chinese Cultural Center.

Also on Monday, the two ministers held talks and signed an agreement over bilateral cultural cooperation in the years between 2018 and 2021.

The agreement covers in fields such as visual arts, cinema, animation and videogames, as well as editorial cooperation, the exchange of cultural exhibitions and measures to safeguard copyright.

Luo said China was ready to have more cultural cooperation with Spain in the frame of the Belt and Road Initiative, and such cooperation was set to lay a solid cultural foundation for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

Mendez de Vigo highlighted the "growing interest of the Chinese public, not just for genuinely Spanish cultural activities, such as flamenco, our architecture or gastronomy, but also for more specific initiatives, such as the incorporation of the Teatro Real de Madrid into the Silk Road International Theater Union".