Gateshead Community Church Event

On February 14th, the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University successfully organized a presentation on "Chinese New Year Culture in Northeast England" at the Salvation Army Gateshead Community Church. The event targeted local residents aged 60 and above, with approximately 30 attendees.

During the event, Ms. Xiaolu Tan, a Chinese teacher from Confucius Institute, delivered the presentation with assistance from volunteer teacher Ms. Yingying Wei. Ms. Tan introduced Chinese New Year customs using an episode from the cartoon "Peppa Pig" as a starting point, engaging the audience with interactive quizzes and discussions.

Following this, Ms. Tan showcased the annual Chinese New Year parade in Newcastle, featuring a video of the 2024 dragon dance performance, followed by a lively dragon dance led by the attendees.

Ms. Tan also highlighted this year's parade, displaying photos of Confucius Institute teachers and volunteers participating in traditional attire and emphasizing the significance of the parade beyond the Northeast region, as demonstrated by a video of the 2024 London Chinese New Year parade.

Additionally, Ms. Tan introduced other celebrations in Northeast England, focusing on the Five Schools Gala. She presented photos from the joint event held on February 13th, 2024, and a video of Oakfield Infant School students' performance at the 2017 Gala, evoking joyous reactions from the audience.

The event concluded with a demonstration of the eight lucky foods commonly eaten during Chinese New Year, followed by a hands-on activity to make paper dumplings, where each participant wrote their New Year wishes on the dumpling wrappers. Ms. Tan received gratitude from Ms. Anni Humes, the event organizer, expressing anticipation for future collaborations with the Confucius Institute.

Afterwards, participants joyfully took commemorative photos, reflecting the success and warmth of the event.