ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year started in St. Petersburg on Friday with the Sichuan Culture Festival.

Hundreds of local residents saw an exhibition of Chinese paper umbrellas, Sichuan embroidery, etc. Many of them participated in various master classes, sampled Sichuan cuisine, and Datusi tea, a well-known tea produced in Sichuan Province, southwest China.

This is the fourth time that the celebration of the Chinese New Year is held in St. Petersburg, with a series of events, which has become an excellent example of the cultural exchange, said Guo Min, consul general of China in St. Petersburg.

Guo said that the participation of Sichuan Province in the Chinese New Year celebration in St. Petersburg is part of the China-Russia inter-regional cooperation.

St. Petersburg is one of the eight cities in the world that received special support from the Chinese government over the celebration of the Spring Festival, with various events, including concerts, exhibitions, master classes, film screenings, lectures, being held until March 2.