Chinese Spring Festival held at UWTSD's Lampeter campus

3 February 2023

The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit bounced into Lampeter on Saturday 28 January with a celebration that attracted UWTSD students and residents from far and near.

Ten teachers and volunteers smile together in a group photo.

A team of talented teachers and volunteers from the Confucius Institute entertained members of the public with traditional Chinese music and tea ceremony, and offered creative activities such as paperfolding and calligraphy. With many people still thinking of their new year resolutions to be healthier in 2023, there were also Taiji, Kung Fu and Qigong workshops.

A group practise Chinese calligraphy using brushes, ink and red paper under the guidance of Tang Yuqi.

Following the event, Tang Yuqi, Confucius Institute Chinese tutor, commented:

“The UWTSD Lampeter campus Old Hall was abuzz with the sound of people enjoying and celebrating traditional Chinese culture. The ancient sound of the pipa and guzheng filled the air.

UWTSD students, Lampeter residents and families from near and afar enjoyed and made the most of the opportunity to try their hands at paper-folding, calligraphy and the thoughtful movements of Taichi and kung-fu, not to mention the Chinese tea ceremony which offered everyone a taste of the long and fascinating history of Chinese tea culture. A couple who had come to Wales all the way from Shanghai commented that our Chinese celebrations were more Chinese than the New Year celebrations in Shanghai!”

Among the Confucius Institute team, led by Chinese Co-Director Lisa Liu, there were Chinese Professional Doctorate students studying at UWTSD who shared their expert skills. Lisa Liu commented: “We have a fantastic team of volunteers who have dedicated a lot of time to prepare some lovely Chinese cultural activities to share with members of the public. We’re very grateful for their support, not just with this event, but also for helping us to celebrate the Chinese Spring festival in primary schools in Wales as well as at our Chinese School in Swansea.”

For more information about the event and upcoming events please email k.krajewska@uwtsd.ac.uk