Chinese monks perform Chinese Shaolin martial arts at a theater in Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, on Jan. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Christos Theodorides)

NICOSIA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot officials and fans crammed into a theater here on Tuesday night to watch a unique performance of Chinese Shaolin martial arts.

The performance was part of the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural events and supported by the Chinese Embassy to Cyprus and the Cypriot Ministry of Education and Culture and the Nicosia Municipality.

In an address to the gathering read by a ministry official, Cypriot Education Minister Costas Kadis noted that the event offered a unique experience and the opportunity for Cypriots to witness one of the most ancient styles of martial arts developed more than 1.500 years ago by the monks of the legendary Shaolin Temple.

Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Huang Xingyuan said while addressing the gathering that such events contribute to a deepening of the traditional friendship of Cyprus and China and to the strengthening of relations between the two countries and peoples.

Education ministry officials, academics, officers of the Cypriot National Guard and the Police, foreign diplomats based in Cyprus, Chinese expatriates and local fans of Chinese martial arts watched the performance.