Students celebrated with lion dancing, Kung Fu lessons, cultural quizzes and delicious traditional food.
SHSK Mandarin students took Kung Fu lessons with visiting Kung Fu and Dragon dance experts. We were taught how to lion dance, make faces and express emotions using the prop of a lion’s head. Some students even got to dress up in the full lion’s costume!
Our chefs then treated us to a delicious themed lunch consisting of noodles, fortune cookies and a ba bao fan (sweet sticky rice with 8 different dried fruit) for dessert. The refectory was adorned with red decorations and lucky characters, with some hung upside down in Chinese tradition because they rhyme with ‘arrival’.
Mandarin students volunteered to read out quizzes about China and their culture; when someone answered correctly, they got a sticker and if they got 3 stickers, they won a packet of sweets. After a few quiz rounds, the lion dance experts (and some students!) performed a dance routine and got the audience involved.
We thoroughly enjoyed a day spent learning a traditional dance and eating traditional Chinese food.
