NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate Chinese New Year -Chinaculture.org

Hong Lei (left), Chinese consul general in Chicago and Ethan Casson, CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves, exchange gifts before the game at Target Center in Minnesota on Feb 13, 2018. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

On Feb 13, the Minnesota Timberwolves held a "Happy Chinese New Year" celebration in conjunction with their National Basketball Association league game against the Houston Rockets at Target Center.

Chinese artist Gao Hong performs the US national anthem with pipa, a four-stringed Chinese traditional instrument, before the game at Target Center in Minnesota on Feb 13, 2018. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Hong Lei, Chinese consul general in Chicago; Ethan Casson, CEO of the Timberwolves and many other Chinese and US officials attended the event, together with nearly 20,000 spectators. Before the game, Hong and Casson exchanged gifts on the court to extend New Year greetings to each other.

The Target Center in Minnesota decorated with a "Happy Chinese New Year" theme. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The entire arena was themed for the night, including a dragon dance performance and the US national anthem performed using pipa, a four-stringed Chinese instrument, by Chinese artist Gao Hong. The scoreboard also included many New Year greeting phrases in Mandarin.

The Target Center in Minnesota was decorated with a "Happy Chinese New Year" theme. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

At halftime, cheerleaders in Chinese qipao dresses staged exciting dance performances and Timberwolves players handed out red envelopes and lucky plush toy dogs to the spectators. Meanwhile, artists from the CAAM Chinese Dance Theater gave a performance, titled Dragons Flying and Phoenixes Dancing, to Chinese pop music.

Artists from the CAAM Chinese Dance Theater stage a performance titled Dragons Flying and Phoenixes Dancing at Target Center in Minnesota on Feb 13, 2018. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Artists from the CAAM Chinese Dance Theater stage a performance titled Dragons Flying and Phoenixes Dancingat Target Center in Minnesota on Feb 13, 2018. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]