The 75th Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka was celebrated at an impressive ceremony with the participation of the Sri Lankan community in Beijing, the Embassy staff and their family members on 04 February 2023 at the Embassy premises.
The national flag was hoisted by Ambassador Dr.Palitha Kohona while the national anthem played. The traditional oil lamp was lit and two minutes of silence was observed with solemnity to honour the fallen heroes who safeguarded our freedom.
Seven monks led by the Chief Incumbent of Linguuang Temple the Most Ven. Chang Zang Thero conducted a ceremony invoking blessings to all.
The Independence Day Message of the President was read out and the messages of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister were made available.
Adressing the guests, Ambassador Dr.Palitha Kohona emphasised the need for the people of Sri Lanka, which had been a model for developing countries, to work together and help the country to overcome the financial crisis.He added that patriotic Sri Lankans living abroad should extend a helping hand to the motherland. He further stated that Sri Lankans have enjoyed free education, free healthcare and many other benefits provided by the tax payers and now it was time for all to remember their motherland.
The Ambassador requested the Sri Lanka community to consider investing in Sri Lanka. In addition, the Ambassador requested Sri Lankan nationals to promote Sri Lanka among their Chinese friends. The Ambassador said that China will commence its outbound tourism through a pilot programme on 06 February, in which Sri Lanka was also included. The Ambassador thanked the Chinese government for including Sri Lanka in the pilot programme. He expressed confidence that many Chinese friends will consider Sri Lanka as their tourism destination as well as invest in Sri Lanka.
The event concluded with a Sri Lankan lunch for guests at the Ambassador’s Residence.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Beijing
07 February, 2023
