To mark Malta’s relations with China, the Grand Hotel Excelsior invited the Ambassador of China to Malta, Zhang Keyuan, and the staff at the Chinese Embassy, to a discussion on European alcoholic drinks and cocktails as well as customs and etiquette while drinking in Europe.

Expressing either joy or sorrow, and present in many of China’s legends, alcohol plays a very important role in Chinese culture. Be it the Spring Festival, the Double Ninth Festival, weddings, birthdays or the 100th day following the birth of a baby, wines and spirits are always used to honour the ceremony.

The Ambassador thanked Excelsior bars manager Paul Cassar and his assistant David McKeon, who conducted the discussion together, and promised to be back at the hotel to exchange more interesting facts about the two cultures.

Meanwhile, two newlywed Chinese couples recently chose Malta for their honeymoons thanks to the good contacts that the Malta China Friendship Society and the Maltese-Chinese Chamber of Commerce have established in China.

Reno Calleja, the president of the MCFS and secretary general of the MCCC, used his personal contacts to bring the couples to Maltese shores.

The newlywed couples were Ze Ying and Wu Jian Hong, and Li Juan Shan and Zhou Qi. They were met at the airport by Yanhui Guo, a Chinese woman residing in Malta.

A special welcome for the couples was prepared by Conrad Degiorgio, general manager of the Diplomat Hotel, where the couples chose to stay.

Together with Mr Calleja, he met them personally on their arrival and offered them a complimentary dinner.

The hotel’s chef made a special cake adorned with the word ‘congratulations’ in Chinese, while a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine were placed in their rooms.

Mr Wu thanked Mr Degiorgio and Mr Calleja on behalf of all the honeymooners for their welcome.