Saint Mary’s will celebrate the Chinese New Year and the advent of the Year of the Monkey with the annual China Night in the Little Theater on Friday at 3 p.m.
The Chinese New Year is considered the most important festival in Chinese culture, according to a post by the College’s director of media relations, Gwen O’Brien. Also known as the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year celebration recognizes the start of a new year for harvest in China as well as the coming of spring.
Junior Yanxi Liu, China Night director and co-president of the Chinese Culture Club, said having a China Night at Saint Mary’s allows the campus community to celebrate not only the New Year but also the Chinese culture.
“The purpose of China Night is to promote the diversity of Saint Mary’s,” she said. “China Night is a great opportunity for Saint Mary’s students to learn more about China.”
Liu said this year’s China Night will feature traditional songs, instruments, folk dances, lottery drawing games and an Asian fashion show. The evening will feature performances by students from Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame and other groups from the South Bend community.
Saint Mary’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership’s (CWIL’s) assistant director for global education Alice Siqin Yang said the night presents a great learning opportunity for students.
“The event will help students learn more about Chinese language, culture, music, arts, traditions, as well as the opportunities to study abroad in China,” she said. “It has unique history and culture and has the largest population in the world. Understanding Chinese culture will help students succeed in the global economy.”
Junior Yaqi Song, co-president of the Chinese Culture Club, said she is looking forward to the new addition to the show this year, the Asian fashion show. With Asian culture and history as its focus, the fashion show represents a variety of ethnic groups by including Japanese, South Korean and Tibetan students in their countries’ traditional clothing.
Liu said she is happy she could celebrate the Chinese New Year with other international students and share her culture with the Saint Mary’s community.
“My favorite part is that I can organize a show to present my culture to others and so all Chinese students can be together,” Liu said.
A reception featuring a variety of Chinese food will follow the performances.
