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More than 150 international
students from Stafford House College and Stafford House School of English
celebrated together as they counted down to the arrival of the Chinese New
Year.
Students from around thirty different countries enjoyed a day of learning
about Chinese culture. This included welcoming in the Year of the Monkey
with traditional meals of fish, rice and meatballs in the school canteen and
Chinese party games and Karaoke in the evening.
The Chinese New Year is the oldest and most important festival in China. It
celebrates the earth coming back to life and the start of ploughing and
sowing. While the Western world celebrates the year 2004, the 22nd January
marked the beginning of the year 4701, according to the Chinese lunar
calendar. The lunar calendar is based on movements of the sun and moon and
predicts that those born in the Year of the Monkey will be very intelligent,
well-liked by everyone and be very witty.
Ni Wei Ping, who is the Group Leader for 34 students from the Ren Ming
University, Beijing, China said: “It was great to join in celebration with
our friends from other countries. This was the first time that our students
have been away from home at the Spring Festival and it has been a valuable
lifetime experience for them.”
Pat O’Donoghue, Principal at Stafford House School of English said:
“Although we are the teachers, we never stop learning. It was a great
privilege to share in such an occasion and to be involved in such an
international celebration of cultures”.
Although Canterbury may seem a world away from their homeland, the Chinese
students did spare a thought for their country's first man in space, Yang
Liwei, who was the star of an hour-long broadcast from space on Chinese
television to count in the New Year.
There are currently around 450 students at Stafford House College and
Stafford House School of English studying a range of English language and
academic subjects.
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to watch the video clip (1.8 MB) |
