BANGKOK, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- A grand Spring Festival gala was staged in the southern Thai city of Hat Yai Thursday night for overseas Chinese and Thais to join the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

Some 3,000 people watched the "Cultures of China, Festival of Spring," which is jointly presented by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, the Chinese Consulate-General in Songkhla, the Association of Clubs and Foundations in Hat Yai and the Overseas Chinese Service Center in Hat Yai, at the Prince of Songkhla University International Convention Center.

The Chinese art troupe performed beautiful dancing, such as the famous Drunken Beauty, and popular Chinese songs.

Pairin Sringkaranan, a local Thai Chinese member of the audience, said China has paid much attention to overseas Chinese and she believed there will be more exchanges between Thailand and China.

Zhou Haicheng, Chinese consul-general in Songkhla, expressed his gratitude for the Thai Chinese communities and other social organizations to join hands in preparing for the gala while extending his best wishes to people in south Thailand.

Zhou praised Thai Chinese living in south Thailand for their contributions to the development of Thailand and friendship between the two countries.

"The group of artists bring their best wishes from Chinese people to all in south Thailand by this amazing gala, which shows that our two countries share many in common in terms of culture and the gala is bound to contribute to the friendship and cultural exchange between our two peoples," he said.

Governor of Songkhla Province Dondej Pattanarat and Chief Executive of Songkhla Provincial Administration Organization Niphon Boonyamanee also praised Chinese traditional culture and people-to-people exchanges between Thailand and China. They said the gala would help Thais know more about Chinese culture and boost cultural exchanges.