York's Chinese students host colourful New Year Gala
Posted on 7 February 2014
They will join members of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and York’s Civic Party at Central Hall on 10 February for a dazzling evening of entertainment to welcome the Year of the Horse.
The Chinese New Year Gala will feature music played on traditional Chinese musical instruments, a calligraphy show and xiangsheng or ‘crosstalk’, a traditional form of Chinese comedy which normally features a rapid, bantering dialogue between two people, and is one of China's most popular performing arts.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year offers a wonderful time for celebration when families in China come together for an entertainment show
Xinhua Zhang
As the Chinese community’s biggest annual event in York, the gala provides an opportunity for students and the local community to discover more about Chinese culture, as well as helping Chinese students to feel at home. There are more than 1,500 Chinese students studying in York, with 1,250 of them attending the University of York.
Students from the York Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) will organise the gala in partnership with the University of York’s Students’ Union and International Students’ Association, and York St John University.
Xinhua Zhang, a PhD student in the Department of Physics and President of the CSSA, said: “Celebrating the Lunar New Year offers a wonderful time for celebration when families in China come together for an entertainment show.
“Through the CSSA, I am honoured to have the chance to bridge the gaps between the East and the West, and enhance understanding and communication among the young generations by providing unique and attractive programmes and activities, locally and internationally.”
The Chinese New Year marks the end of the Year of the Snake, and heralds the beginning of the Year of the Horse. Originating in the Han Dynasty (206-220BC), the Chinese zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year named after an animal. Much like their animal namesakes, people born in the Year of the Horse are said to be energetic, independent and impatient.
York has strong academic links with China, working closely with Peking University to promote cultural exchange through the Jiangning Foundation, developing strong collaborations in electronic engineering and physics with the University of Nanjing, and hosting nearly 40 undergraduates each year from Zhejiang University.
The Chinese New Year Gala will be held at Central Hall, University of York, on Monday 10 February at 7.30pm. Tickets costing £5 for students and £8 for non-students are available from Vanbrugh, Wentworth and Goodricke College receptions. You can also book online:
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