Lunar new year celebrated with campus events

Lunar New Year arrived at the University of Huddersfield with a string of events that brought students from around the world together.

Huddersfield has over 700 students from countries in South-East Asia that are celebrating the lunar new year, with their cultures showcased with music, dance, food and games to celebrate what is known as Tet in Vietnam, Kongsi Raya in Malaysia and Imlek in Indonesia. In China, the lunar new year has ushered in the Year of the Rabbit.

A traditional dragon dance through Student Central kicked the celebrations off, and evening  events on consecutive nights saw Vietnamese and Chinese students show off their cultures with fellow students from many other countries joining in. Two weeks of celebrations conclude with the lantern festival on 6 February.

Yue Yu, President of the Chinese students & Scholars Association (CSSA), said: “It is a good way to promote culture and to facilitate communication between Chinese students and students from other countries, it's a nice cultural exchange. On the other hand, by organising such events, we let people know that there is an organisation like ours in our university, and that for Chinese students, they can seek help through our society, so that Chinese students in the university do not feel alone and have something to fall back on. And it is always nice to welcome non-Chinese students to make further friendships.

Click on the photos to below to see them in close-up

“Through events like this, I have met a lot of interesting people from all regions and countries. Not only did I improve my organisational skills and those of our CSSA students, but we also improved our communication and cultural learning, so I am grateful to the university.”

Andrew Mandebura, Director of International Development, added, “It was wonderful to see such an excellent turnout to the Spring Festival celebrations during the week by both staff and students from across the campus. These events are vital in providing students and staff with an experience of the different cultural perspectives that are represented on our campus.”

Alistair Sambell, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), said, "I was delighted to attend the events to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It was fantastic to see the campus really buzzing with dancing and music, and staff and students from across the University coming together to mark this important event in the Chinese and Vietnamese calendars. I look forward to the Year of the Rabbit, and the values it symbolises of longevity, peace and prosperity.

International Student Experience Manager Alan Tobi said, “It was great to see students from all over the world mingling with British students and staff. It’s a way of showing how we celebrate on campus, so that students from overseas feel at home and welcome.. 

“Many countries celebrate in a similar but slightly different way, and it is nice for all our students to understand the differences.”