HAVANA－Lion dances and martial arts livened up Havana's Chinatown with an air of joy on March 16, with hundreds of residents joining to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese in Cuba.

In 1847, some Chinese migrants first stepped on Cuban soil, starting their integration into local society. After 175 years, the Chinese community has become an inseparable part of this Latin American country.

In his speech at the celebration, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui says that China and Cuba have built solid historic and cultural ties throughout history.

"Chinese descendants have played a significant role in Cuban culture," Ma says. "We will continue to be good friends, partners and comrades."

Students from the Cuban School of Wushu honored the legacy of Chinese culture with a large-scale demonstration of martial arts, with children, adolescents and senior citizens taking part.

Roberto Vargas Lee, director and founder of the school, believes China and Cuba share a common value of solidarity in the construction of their social systems.

Thanking the Chinese embassy for donating a lion dance costume and other items to the school, he says, "we very much appreciate the support given by the Chinese government to the development of martial arts on the island".

The House of Chinese Arts and Traditions has opened an art exhibition as part of the festivities, and plans to host an international seminar on the Chinese diaspora's influence later in June.

Chinese migrants and their descendants have contributed to the shaping of the Cuban national identity, according to Teresa Maria Li, director of the cultural center.

"This (exhibition) is just the beginning of a very important celebration that will gather many people interested in expanding their knowledge of Chinese culture, customs and traditions," Li says.

For more than a century, the two countries have been intertwined in various aspects, including trade, farming, culture and cuisine.

China has also become one of Cuba's main economic partners as bilateral cooperation deepens.

Chinese-Cuban Sara Chao, 80, says that she is happy to have inherited her parent's hardworking ethos.

"I have never visited China, but China is very deep in my heart in so many ways," Chao says.

"This celebration will continue in unifying the Chinese community in Cuba," she adds.

Xinhua