Gong Xi Fa Cai – Greetings for Chinese New Year

To acknowledge the dawn of a new era, University of Exeter’s Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA), are organising a series of events throughout the weekend of 8 and 9 February in Exeter city centre and on the Streatham Campus.

University of Exeter Chinese New Year celebrations are the biggest in the city and are regularly attended by over 2000 people. Traditional Dragon and Lion dancing will be performed around Bedford Square in the city centre at 1pm (weather permitting). This will be followed by a further performance at 3pm on the University of Exeter campus in The Forum; where there will be additional indoor activities and performances including martial arts demonstrations, special tea ceremonies, paper lantern making and a Chinese market loaded with an assortment of food to try and buy. Fireworks at 6pm (pending weather conditions) will bring a spectacular end to the days celebrations.

The president of the CSSA is a third year Business Studies student Xin Zhou (Carina) explains what kind of things she and would have been doing if she was in China for the festivities. Xin Zhou said:“During Chinese New Year’s Eve, we would be having a reunion dinner with our families. People from different parts of China celebrate in a different way.  I am from Southern China, and we will have fish which represents an increase in personal wealth, rice cakes signify the development from childhood into adulthood; and most importantly dumplings represent money.”

She added:“Parents will give children a red packet, just like a Christmas gift received in the west. The New Year celebrations go on for 15 days, and within that time period we visit family and friends.”

As part of the celebrations at the University of Exeter, on Sunday there is a Chinese Spring Festival Evening Performance at the Northcott Theatre, produced by the Chinese Student Scholars Association. The entire production is in the Chinese language of Mandarin. The show starts at 7pm and tickets available from the Student’s Guild Box Office or the CSSA direct.  

All of the Chinese New Year celebrations are presented by the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA) and supported by University of Exeter, Students Guild and Streetwise Fund.

In addition to organising and attending the University’s New Year events the week following the official start of the Chinese New Year on Friday 31 January; Xin will celebrate with a friend by making dumplings, watching Chinese gala shows and have a dinner with close friends in Exeter. She will also video call her parents in China to wish them “Gong Xi Fa Cai” a Happy Chinese New Year.