FREETOWN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Sierra Leoneans on Wednesday joined the Chinese community in the country to celebrate the UN Chinese Language Day to further promote the mutual understanding between the two countries.

       The event, which took place at the Confucius Institute at the University of Sierra Leone, featured a variety of shows on traditional Chinese culture, including an exhibition of Chinese calligraphy and a performance of Chinese martial arts.

       Addressing the celebration, the Chinese ambassador to Sierra Leone Hu Zhangliang expressed his appreciation for the effort of the government of Sierra Leone in promoting mutual understanding between the two countries through increased cultural exchanges.

       Sierra Leone's Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Memunatu Pratt thanked the Chinese government for the tremendous support for the tourism and culture sector of Sierra Leone, saying the Chinese language has gone a long way toward bringing peace and understanding in many countries and safeguarding the Chinese culture for generations to come. She also appealed to Sierra Leoneans for taking foreign languages more seriously to help address the challenges they face around the world.

       UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20.