Lunar New Year 2020 festivities were the most popular yet

Hosted by the University’s Chinese Society the evening showcase has become so popular with students and the public that an even larger venue was needed to host this year’s festivities 

AN annual event which takes place at the University of Huddersfield to celebrate the Lunar New Year has become so popular with students and the public that an even larger venue was needed to host this year’s festivities. 

Hosted by the University’s Chinese Society the evening showcase took place in the town centre at Huddersfield’s Town Hall and drew in an audience of over 400 that included students and members of the local community. 

Over 60 performers took part in the evening’s entertainment and included acts such as the traditional Chinese Lion Dance, a rendition of the Chinese Opera Mulan, with traditional song and dance performed by the University’s Chinese students. The audience also viewed a fascinating display of martial arts using the traditional Chinese weapon ‘nunckaku’ as well as daring stunts from Chinese acrobats. 

The University’s International and Student Experience Manager Alan Tobi said the larger venue for the evening’s performances allowed the University’s Chinese students to be able to celebrate the New Year with the general public while giving members of the local community an opportunity to be entertained by a multicultural show. 

“It was particularly nice to see the audience made up of members of the local community as well as British, European and international students,” said Alan. 

“Feedback received following the event has been extremely positive with onlookers saying they were amazed with what our talented Chinese students produced on the big stage and that they are already looking forward to next year’s show.” 

The President of the University’s Chinese Society, Yongjia Xu, said it had been a pleasure to help organise the event, which was of significant importance to Chinese students and to Chinese people living in Huddersfield. 

“The gala enriches the lives of our students and is also a valuable opportunity to develop their abilities to organise such an event,” he added. 

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by several countries throughout Asia and earlier in the day the Chinese, Hong Kong, Malaysian, South Korean, Taiwanese and Vietnamese student societies hosted a variety of events on campus to showcase how their countries each celebrate the annual event. 

Students were able to partake in arts and crafts, calligraphy, board games, traditional tea tasting as well as trying on East Asian clothing.  The Chinese Lion Dance also came through the campus. 

“Feedback received following the event has been extremely positive with onlookers saying they were amazed with what our talented Chinese students produced on the big stage and that they are already looking forward to next year’s show.” 

Alan Tobi, International Student Experience Manager

The University currently has around 1,000 Chinese students and operates four regional offices in China with its headquarters in Beijing and offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xian. 

The University’s International Office who sponsored this year’s event alongside the University’s China head office in Beijing, holds an array of activities throughout the year for the global student societies to showcase their cultures and have fun. 

On 24 February until 28 February is the highly anticipated Global Week where students can become involved with sport tournaments, food festivals, film festivals, cultural events and workshops.  More information about Global Week can be found online.