?Sabina Mary Higgins(C, Front), the wife of the Irish President Michael D. Higgins, accompanied by the Chinese ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong (1st R, Front), visits the Chinese stall at an international charity bazaar held in Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 17, 2019. An international charity bazaar organized by the diplomatic corps in Ireland in partnership with local communities was held here on Sunday. Over forty foreign embassies in Ireland including the Chinese embassy participated in the event held at Industries Hall of Royal Dublin Society. (Xinhua)
DUBLIN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- An international charity bazaar organized by the diplomatic corps in Ireland in partnership with local communities was held here on Sunday.
Over forty foreign embassies in Ireland including the Chinese embassy participated in the event held at Industries Hall of Royal Dublin Society.
Sabina Mary Higgins, the wife of the Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and Paul McAuliffe, Lord Mayor of Dublin, attended the bazaar.
During her visit to the Chinese stall, Sabina Higgins was warmly received by the Chinese ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong and his wife Xia Lining. Sabina Higgins had a detailed inquiry about some of the artefacts displayed at the Chinese stall called the China Pavilion. She also offered to take a group photo in front of the Chinese stall.
The Chinese stall is one of the largest stalls at the bazaar, which offered a variety of traditional Chinese artefacts such as porcelain tea sets, tricolor-glazed potteries of the Tang Dynasty, Peking Opera facial masks and toy pandas in addition to a variety of modern gadgets.
"We haven't figured out the total sales revenue for today, but the funds to be raised this year will surely surpass that of the previous charity bazaar we attended," said an official with the Chinese embassy.
The bazaar also received a warm response from the Chinese companies in Ireland as well as the local Chinese community. Many big Chinese companies such as the top four banks in China had sent their Ireland branch representatives to show their support for the event. A group of children from a local Chinese school had entertained the visitors with Chinese and English songs along with other performances staged by people from other countries.
First held in 2008, the International Charity Bazaar has run for the 12th year and is aimed at raising funds on a voluntary basis for registered charities in Ireland while providing a platform to promote the cultural heritage of the international communities.
Visitors to the bazaar can not only bag some of the things they like from different countries but also enjoy exotic food, music, songs and dances at the event.
All the proceeds generated from this year's bazaar, including the 5-euro entrance fee for each visitor, will go to four local charities, including a local childhood cancer foundation, said organizers.
