Category Archives: Chinese LIG

Celebrating Duanwu Festival at Queen’s and beyond

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This year Duanwu Festival (端午节 Duānwǔjié), also known as Dragon Boat Festival (龙舟节 Lóngzhōujié), falls on Friday 19th June.

To mark the occasion, two celebratory events were organised prior to the festival: one on campus at Queen’s University Belfast and the other in the local community. Together, these events provided opportunities to explore the history, customs, and cultural significance of one of China’s traditional festivals.

Celebration 1: Two Festivals, One Celebration: Duanwu and Dano Mid-Summer Social

Jointly organised by QUB iRise Staff Network and The Language Centre, Queen’s staff enjoyed attending a mid-summer social event that successfully celebrated both the Chinese Duanwu Festival and the Korean Danoje Festival, two traditional East Asian festivals that occur around the same time of year. The event was organised as an opportunity to promote intercultural understanding, community building, and a sense of belonging among staff from a diverse cultural background.

  • Dr Bee-Yen gave a welcome.
    Dr Bee-Yen gave a welcome.
  • Prof Wei Sha gave a welcome.
    Prof Wei Sha gave a welcome.

The morning began with opening remarks from the iRise Co-Chair, Dr. Bee-Yen Toh who introduced the work of iRise and reflected on the network’s growing programme of activities, encouraging more staff participantion and contribution to its Cultural Diversity Scheme. The REC Academic Lead Prof Wei Sha also offered welcoming remarks before the event moved into two cultural presentations: Dr. Liang Wang from China introduced Duanwujie, while Dr Suyhun Kim from Korea introduced Danoje.

  • Dr Liang Wang introduced Duanwu Festival.
    Dr Liang Wang introduced Duanwu Festival.
  • Dr Shuyun Kim introduced Dano Festival.
    Dr Shuyun Kim introduced Dano Festival.

The event was further enriched by a guzheng performance from Wei Deng, a graduate in Arts Management from the School of Arts, English and Languages. Wei, holding a Global Talent Visa, has been committed to integrating guzheng techniques with Irish music elements, with which she is going to host her guzheng concert at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (the world’s largest celebration of Irish traditional music). Wei extended her invitation to QUB staff to attend her concert in coming August.

  • Wei Deng performed guzheng music at the event.
    Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
  • Wei Deng communicated with Queen's staff about her upcoming guzheng concert.
    Wei Deng communicated with Queen’s staff about her upcoming guzheng concert.

Colleagues also received calligraphy bookmarks featuring Chinese Duanwu Festival greetings and well-wishes, including messages of peace, health and good fortune. These small keepsakes, written by QUB Law student Shiuh Ting Gho, offered participants something personal to take away from the event, while also introducing the beauty of Chinese calligraphy and the meaning carried through written language.

  • Calligraphy bookmarks written by Shiuh Ting Gho.
    Calligraphy bookmarks written by Shiuh Ting Gho.
  • Calligraphy bookmarks carrying festival greeting messages.
    Calligraphy bookmarks carrying festival greeting messages.

The Mid-Summer Social was a warm celebration of culture, language and shared learning. Through stories, music, food traditions, language and calligraphy, the event offered colleagues an opportunity to learn about Duanwujie and Danoje while strengthening a sense of connection across the University community.

Read the original text from QUB iRise webpage.

Celebration 2: CWA Dragon Boat Festival and Wei Deng’s Concert Launch

The second celebration was hosted by the Chinese Welfare Association Northern Ireland (CWA) to support the local community’s Dragon Boat Festival celebration and the launch of Wei Deng’s upcoming concert. Distinguished guests included representatives from organisations and associations such as the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Belfast, Arts Council Northern Ireland, National Museums NI, as well as members of other ethnic communities.

Ms Lili Wu, Directing Manager of CWA and Dr Liang Wang, Language Support Officer from Queen’s Language Centre, co-chaired the event.

Ms Lili Li, Vice-Chair of CWA, expressed her gratitude for the support received from partner organisations and individuals, whose contributions have helped foster the continued development of the Chinese community and its growing role in Belfast’s civic engagement and social cohesion. Madame Yanhua Wang, Deputy Consul-General of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Belfast, highly commended CWA’s long-standing service to the Chinese community and its important role in promoting multiculturalism and community integration in Belfast.

  • Ms Lili Li gave a welcome speech.
    Ms Lili Li gave a welcome speech.
  • Madame Yanhua Wang gave a welcome speech.
    Madame Yanhua Wang gave a welcome speech.

The first half of the celebration featured the launch of Wei Deng’s concert. Wei shared stories from her artistic journey and personal development through intercultural learning since arriving at Queen’s as a postgraduate student in Arts Management. She also spoke about her continued engagement in innovative guzheng practice following her studies, both in China and Northern Ireland.

  • Wei Deng introduced her guzheng project and concert.
    Wei Deng introduced her guzheng project and concert.
  • Wei Deng introduced her guzheng project and concert.
    Wei Deng introduced her guzheng project and concert.
  • Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
    Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
  • Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
    Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
  • Wei Deng performed guzheng music.
    Wei Deng performed guzheng music.

Emphasising the value of intercultural exchange, she highlighted the integration of Irish musical elements into traditional Chinese guzheng performance and warmly invited the audience to attend her concert in August.

  • Event: Harmony Beyond Borders – An Enchanting Afternoon of Guzheng Music
  • Date: Sunday 9th August 2026
  • Time: 3:00 pm
  • Venue: Lyric Theatre
  • Ticket: Eventbrite booking

Following Wei’s wonderful live performance, the second half of the celebration began with three cultural workshops, including Chinese calligraphy bookmark writing, zongzi-shaped ornament making, and a demonstration of traditional zongzi wrapping techniques. Making and eating zongzi (粽子) – traditional Chinese sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and filled with a variety of sweet or savoury ingredients – has been a symbolic Dragon Boat Festival custom for thousands of years.

  • Workshop tables set with decorations.
    Workshop tables set with decorations.
  • Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
    Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
  • Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
    Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
  • Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
    Workshop tables set with calligraphy bookmarks.
  • Zongzi-shaped ornaments
    Zongzi-shaped ornaments
  • Frame with an artisitc form of combined characters.
    Frame with an artisitc form of combined characters.
  • Calligraphy script and Wei's concert poster
    Calligraphy script and Wei’s concert poster
  • Zongzi materials ready for wrapping
    Zongzi materials ready for wrapping
  • Zongzi master answering questions.
    Zongzi master answering questions.
  • Zongzi master deomstrating zongzi wrapping up techniques.
    Zongzi master deomstrating zongzi wrapping up techniques.
  • Zongzi master deomstrating wrapped-up zongzi.
    Zongzi master deomstrating wrapped-up zongzi.

After a delicious lunch was served, featuring mini-sized zongzi as a tasting dish, Dr Liang Wang hosted a Duanwu (Dragon Boat Festival) Culture Quiz, helping non-Chinese participants gain a deeper understanding of the festival’s history, traditions, and customs. This was followed by a tea-tasting session facilitated by Wei, who demonstrated traditional tea preparation and serving practices using Yungong Tea (云宫茶), a renowned tea produced in Chongqing, her hometown.

  • Tea ceremony preparation
    Tea ceremony preparation
  • Wei Deng demoed tea making technique
    Wei Deng demoed tea making technique
  • Wei Deng demoed tea making technique
    Wei Deng demonstrated tea making technique
  • Wei chatted with the audience
    Wei chatted with the audience
  • Wei surrounded by participants
    Wei surrounded by participants
  • Wei surrounded by participants
    Wei surrounded by participants

Culture, language, music, food, and entertainment combined to provide participants with a fascinating experience of intercultural discovery, cultural demonstration, and artistic appreciation. The guzheng-enhanced Dragon Boat Festival celebration fostered meaningful cultural exchange and friendship not only within the Chinese community but also among a wide range of communities across Belfast.

  • Welcome guests at the entrance
    Welcome guests at the entrance
  • Dr Liang Wang co-chaired at the event.
    Dr Liang Wang co-chaired at the event.
  • Ms Lili Wu co-chaired at the event.
    Ms Lili Wu co-chaired at the event.
  • Group photo
    Group photo
  • Group photo
    Group photo
  • Volunteers busy preparing food.
    Volunteers busy preparing food.
  • Audience waiting in the hall for the start.
    Audience waiting in the hall for the start.
  • Deng Wei with Lili and Sally
    Deng Wei with Lili and Sally
  • Deng Wei with Rebecca Zhang
    Deng Wei with Rebecca Zhang

The event also served as an excellent example of Queen’s University’s commitment to civic engagement and community partnership, demonstrating its continued support for local communities through language, cultural and festival celebrations.

Calls for Participation

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Happy Longtaitou Festival!

Longtaitou (龙抬头 Lóng tái tóu) Festival, also known as the Dragon-Head-Raising Festival, falls on the second day of the second lunar month each year and marks the traditional beginning of the spring farming season. This year, it falls on Friday 20 March.

Inspired by the symbolic “raising of the dragon’s head”, we are delighted to see a growing interest in Chinese language-related programmes and events. We warmly welcome more participants to join a variety of upcoming activities, as listed below.

Chinese Bridge Competition / Business Chinese Competition – Candidates

The “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition is a large-scale international contest organised by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation. Over the years, 24 UK national finals have been held, with outstanding winners invited to represent the UK at the global finals in China. Participants at this stage have the opportunity to compete for scholarships to further their Chinese-related studies at universities in China.

The Chinese Competition of Business Innovations & Charitable Projects for UK University Students (aka Business Chinese Competition), as a sister event to the Chinese Bridge Competition for UK University Students, is a well-known brand in Business Chinese education across the UK. It aims to promote the improvement and development of Business Chinese teaching in the UK universities, stimulate students’ potential for business innovation, and encourage awareness, participation, and responsibility in charitable projects initiatives. The competition also enables students studying Business Chinese to apply their knowledge in practice and achieve meaningful outcomes, nurturing talents who can contribute to China–UK trade exchange and cooperation.

The 2026 UK national finals will take place on Saturday 6 Friday 5 June in London, organised by the UK Organising Committee. Preliminary rounds will be held by each participating university in advance, with a deadline of Friday 24 April for completion.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Be a university student, aged 18-30
  • Be of non-Chinese nationality
  • Have been born and raised outside China
  • Have a first language other than Chinese
  • Not have taken part in the semi-final or final competition in China in previous years

To know more details and to express your interest, please contact Liang.Wang[at]qub.ac.uk directly, with a brief self-introduction of your education background, including studying of Mandarin Chinese, by Thursday 2nd April.

Chinese School – Teachers/Teaching Assistants

The Chinese Language School Northern Ireland is currently seeking volunteers to support teaching and classroom activities during term time throughout the academic year. Volunteers are expected to commit to the school’s timetable during term time; however, some flexibility can be accommodated with advance notice.

Classes are held weekly on Sundays from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Suitable candidates are preferably those with a strong background in Chinese language proficiency, along with relevant teaching experience or pedagogical knowledge.

To express your interest, please contact Chinese Language School NI via their WeChat account (ID: beiaizhongwenxuexiao) or email (Chinese.school.ni[at]gmail.com).

Success Chinese Lion Dance Society – Club Members

Success Chinese Lion Dance Society is currently seeking to recruit new members, particularly college and university students, to form the core team for campus-based performances.

Students from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds are warmly welcome. Members from QUB will have the opportunity to establish a student-led society registered with the Queen’s Students’ Union, organise regular training sessions, and participate in community activities under the guidance of the Society’s master.

To express your interest, please contact sliondance[at]yahoo.co.uk

Chinese Culture Programme – Contributors

The Language Centre is looking for talented students and staff members to contribute to our Chinese Culture Programme at Queen’s. The engagement could be in the form of a variety of cultural performances, workshops or language/culture-related public talks and panels. The call is open to both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese speaking volunteers.

We look forward to working with you in our future events.

Volunteering

Read the Chinese version here.

Learning Chinese language and culture at Queen’s

Finally, the third Semester Language Course registration is open and closes promptly at 17:00 on Thursday 16 April 2026. Classes are expected to be extremely popular and fill up quickly, so early registration is strongly recommended.

To register with a Mandarin Chinese course, please follow the course information page for more information with links to registrations.

Mandarin Chinese at Queen’s

Lion Dance at Lanyon Building

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To mark us galloping towards another successful year, our beautiful Lanyon building was illuminated in red tonight. ❤️

Meanwhile staff and students were treated to a magical lion dance performance, a tradition known to spread blessings and good fortune for the year ahead.

  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Photographer – Liang Wang
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Photographer – Tianpeng Yao
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
  • Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 17th February 2026 – Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

We thank you for joining us in this meaningful celebration and hope you have enjoyed yourselves with nice snapshots. If you would like to share yours to be added to the album, please send your photos to liang.wang.

We are also keen to invite you to attend many of our upcoming events:

  • Culture Forum Talks
  • Fun Time with Table Tennis
  • Bridges to China Launch (fully booked)

Check the Chinese Culture Programme 2026 Homepage for more upcoming events throughout the year.

CCP2026 Homepage

QUB CNY2026 Successfully Launched

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What could be better than a splendid day of sunshine on Friday 13 February, following such a long period of gloomy, rainy weather? On the day, over 60 Queen’s students, staff members, as well as civic partners and guests, joined the Chinese New Year celebration programme at One Elmwood, Queen’s – the hub for intercultural encounters and exchanges.

Chaired by Dr Liang Wang, the launch began with a captivating performance of traditional guzheng music by PhD candidate Fei Li from Queen’s Business School. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Topping delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the University, highlighting Queen’s achievements in global engagement over the past year, particularly with Asian countries such as China and India. Dr Bee-Yen Toh, Co-Chair of the iRise Staff Network, and Thomas Smith, Language Centre Manager, also extended their welcomes to staff, students, and civic partners, emphasising the importance of intercultural understanding through language learning, dialogue and shared activities. Mórrigan McEvoy, Student Officer for Accessible Education, offered her greetings and encouraged students to actively participate in university events and contribute to building a multicultural campus.

Following the launch, attendees were invited to the ground floor, where the traditional Dragon and Lion dance began in the foyer and continued outside the One Elmwood building. The celebration concluded with a group photo featuring all participants, symbolising the farewell to the Year of the Snake and the welcoming of the Year of the Horse.

  • _cuva

Another highlight of the celebration was the appearance of the God of Fortune, who generously distributed lucky “money” – chocolate coins and replica ancient Chinese coins – to those wishing to embrace good fortune in the year ahead.

Additional performances included a vibrant K-pop dance, a graceful Tai Chi demonstration, and a Chinese Jianzhan tea cup display in the foyer. Meanwhile, cultural workshops such as calligraphy, paper crafts, tea and incense ceremonies, and guzheng appreciation sessions were held in the Cube, engaging and entertaining participants throughout the afternoon.

  • _cuva
  • _cuva
  • _cuva
  • _cuva

Blessed by the sunshine and strong support from One Elmwood Student Engagement Team, the event was a great success, with strong attendance and positive social impact. Queen’s is proud of its role as a civic university, promoting diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging, supported by its vigorous academic and educational innovation.

  • _cuva

In keeping with Chinese New Year traditions, the celebrations will continue over the next two weeks, featuring six culture talks, a table tennis event, and a QUB-supported collaborative “Bridges to China” launch. All are warmly welcome!

For more upcoming events, please visit Chinese Culture Programme 2026 Homepage.

Celebrating CNY at Queen’s and in Belfast

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Celebration CNY at Queen’s

With the Year of the Horse fast approaching, Queen’s University Belfast has released its celebration programme, alongside a few civic Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations. In this post, we would like to highlight the events and activities that may generate shared interest.

Queen’s colleagues are warmly invited to take part in a range of cultural activities celebrating the Year of the Horse. The celebrations will highlight a Launch Event on Friday 13 February, 12:00–1:00 pm, at One Elmwood Cube, followed by a Dragon Parade and Cultural Fair in the One Elmwood Foyer and Cube areas throughout the afternoon.

Online Exhibitions

We are grateful to have collected paintings from ArtEast Club members in the 6th consecutive year and the photos of China with intercultrual reflections from three Queen’s photographers.

The coming weeks’ highlights are:

Student-led activities (Friday 06/02)

  • CNY Arts and Crafts Workshop & Drawing Competition
    1:00–4:00 pm, The Cube, One Elmwood
  • Chinese Singing Competition
    7:30 pm, Harty Room, Music Building

Culture Talks (Monday 16/02 – Thursday 26/02)

Beginning from Monday 16th, there will be a cluster of culture talks contributed by Queen’s academics, research students and guest speakers from a wide range of subject areas and professional backgrounds, as below:

Fun Time with Table Tennis (Saturday 28/02)

Sponsored by QUB iRise Staff Network and One Elmwood Student Engagement Team, we would like to invite all staff members and students, and their families as well, to join this fun and friendly event to engage with this popular sport among the Chinese communities, as well as providing an opportunity for enhancing student and staff wellbeing through sport. Both beginners and more advanced players are welcome to sign up for the fun event, with an appreciation of its unique culture, as well as developing some practical skills in body movements and mediation.

Launch of Bridges to China Project (Sunday 01/03)

Finally, it is worth recommending this launch of Bridges to China Project, which is a collaboration between Queen’s researchers and their civic partners including Chinese Welfare Association, National Museum NI and AvliaMedia on creating a repertoire to enhance public understanding of Chinese heritage and culture in Northern Ireland. It also aims to foster community partnerships leading to further collaboration and community engagement around the longstanding links between Northern Ireland and China.

For more information and registration, please visit the full programme below. You are all very welcome to join us and enjoy the cultural celebrations of the Year of the Horse. If you would like to help with us in any of the events and activities, you may consider filling in the volunterring form below.

CCP2026 Homepage
Volunteering to Support CCP2026 Programme

Celebrating CNY in Belfast

If you would like to know more about CNY celebration events outside Queen’s, we hope you find the following information useful.

Monday 16/02 by CCC NI and CWA NI

The annual Spring Festival Gala, jointly organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, N.I. and Chinese Welfare Association N.I., returns this year to the Europa Hotel. Save your date on Monday 16th February at 6pm.

Friday 20/02 by East Side Arts (with Artsekta and Belfast Film Festival)

Celebrate the Year of the Horse at Templemore Baths Heritage Centre with a creative workshop and light hearted action packed film. 

Sunday 22/02 by Success Dragon and Lion Dance Association

The Chinese New Year Celebration returns to the Ulster Hall Belfast on Sunday 22nd February 2026 celebrating the Year of Horse. Come to enjoy a day is full of fun and joy, rich in Colours and Culture. With over 12 global dances and music not to be missed.

Saturday 28/02 by ABCP NI

值此佳节来临之际，全英华人教授协会北爱尔兰地区诚挚邀请您参加2026年春节庆祝活动，共庆团圆，同贺新岁！本次活动旨在促进学术交流、增进友谊，并为在北爱工作学习的华人学者及家庭提供一个温馨团聚的平台。我们期待与您共度一个充满知识与欢笑的下午，并在晚宴中共叙情谊、喜迎新春。如您计划出席，请于 2026年2月14日（星期六） 前报名。参与对象： 北爱尔兰地区大学老师、学者、博士生、访问学者及家属。

Happy Year of the Horse! 马年快乐！

CCT-MBurnett

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Shakespeare, Cinema, China
《莎士比亚  · 电影 · 中国》

Monday 16th February 2026
13:00-14:00 
Auditorium, The McClay Library

Speaker:
Professor Mark Thornton Burnett is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen’s University Belfast, UK. He is the author of Masters and Servants in English Renaissance Drama and Culture: Authority and Obedience (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997), Constructing ‘Monsters’ in Shakespearean Drama and Early Modern Culture (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002), Filming Shakespeare in the Global Marketplace (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2007; 2nd ed. 2012), Shakespeare and World Cinema (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013) and ‘Hamlet’ and World Cinema (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019). He is series editor of the Arden Shakespeare series, ‘Shakespeare and Adaptation’.

Full profile  

Abstract:
In this talk, I explore the deep connection between the uses of Shakespeare in cinema and China’s evolving cultural, economic and social significances. Shakespeare figures variously in Chinese cinema – as echo and adaptation, as allusion and full-blown transposition, as semi-quotation and vernacular rewrite, as prompt for comic business, and as an exercise in nostalgia. Introducing a broad sweep of historical examples, and centring on two recent Hamlet adaptations – The Banquet (dir. Feng Xiaogang, 2006) and Prince of the Himalayas (dir. Sherwood Hu, 2006) – I argue that Shakespeare and China share a fruitful and exciting relationship, one allied to the past, rooted in the present, and enlivened by continuing intercultural exchange.

CCP2026 Homepage

Mid-Autumn Festival and Welcome Event Celebrates Cultural Diversity at Queen’s

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On Friday, 3 October, despite the adverse weather conditions, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Welcome Event went ahead as planned, bringing together over 50 students, staff (including visiting scholars), and community partners in the McClay Library Auditorium. The celebration featured live music, cultural displays, talks, and refreshments, all showcasing the vibrancy and inclusiveness of Queen’s community.

  • Decoration with mooncakes and flowers
  • Decoration with mooncakes and flowers

The event opened with a captivating guzheng performance of Moon Rising High by PhD candidate Li Fei, setting a graceful tone for the afternoon’s celebration of community and civic engagement.

  • Welcoming guzheng music by LI Fei
  • Welcoming guzheng music by LI Fei

Jointly organised by The Language Centre and iRise (BAME&I) Staff Network, the event featured welcoming remarks from Thomas (Language Centre Manager) and Bee-Yen (Senior Lecturer, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Co-Chair of iRise), who both reflected on the cultural importance of celebrating diversity at Queen’s. Mórrigan (Student Officer for Accessible Education) and Claudia (Chair of the International Students’ Association) also spoke, introducing the roles of the Queen’s Students’ Union in supporting a student body representing over 80 countries and regions.

  • Welcome by Thomas Smith, Language Centre Manager
  • Welcome by Dr Bee-Yen Toh, iRise Staff Network co-chair
  • Welcome by Mórrigan McEvoy, Student Officer Accessible Education
  • Welcome by Claudia Liu, Chair of International Students’ Association

Dr Liang Wang shared greetings from both local and international participants, including a surprise message from Queen’s University, Canada, and highlighted a series of successful student- and staff-led projects in line with the Cultural Diversity Scheme at Queen’s in recent years. He also invited attendees to take part in the new round of upcoming activities. Special thanks were given to student volunteer Shiuh Ting Gho, who delighted participants with beautifully written calligraphy pieces of traditional festival greetings.

  • Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Queen’s
  • Introduction to Mid-Autumn Festival
  • Greetings from the participants
  • Greetings from the participants
  • Greeting from a special guest from Queen’s University in Canada
  • Calligraphy display from Shiuh Ting Gho
  • Highlight 1 – Journal of Eutopia Art and Culture
  • Highlight 1 – Journal of Eutopia Art and Culture
  • Highlight 2 – Taste of the World: A Journey Through Food and Culture
  • Highlight 2 – Taste of the World: A Journey Through Food and Culture
  • Highlight 3 – QUB DEIB Forum
  • Highlight 4 – Bridges to China Project

In the cultural display segment, Li Fei further demonstrated her artistry through a traditional tea and incense ceremony, showcasing the elegance and mindfulness of Chinese cultural practices. Attendees showed great enthusiasm, enjoying both the demonstration and a taste of freshly brewed Chinese tea.

The afternoon concluded with networking, mooncake tasting, and refreshments, leaving everyone with warm smiles and shared appreciation for Queen’s commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion.

Photographer: Tianpeng Yao, Liang Wang

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration and Welcome Event

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Hello September, we hope all will settle in quickly and have a great start!

With the start of the new academic year, we are delighted to host a special welcome event that brings together staff and students to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate intercultural experiences. This gathering marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time of reunion and appreciation, with the chance to enjoy mooncakes and experience cultural performances. We warmly invite all students and staff to join us for this festive celebration at Queen’s!

Date: Friday 3rd October 2025
Time: 13:30 – 16:00 
Venue: Auditorium, The McClay Library

Registration

Due to limited capacity of the room and high demand, we are only able to accommodate up to 50 people, on a first-come-first-serve basis. People who are informed on a waiting list will be contacted if vacancies appear.

We hope you will enjoy the event!

Call for volunteers

We are looking for talented students and staff members to volunteer for our Chinese language and cultural events at Queen’s. It could be in the form of a variety of cultural performances, or language/culture-related topics and skills, and is open to both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese speaking volunteers.

We look forward to working with you in our future events.

Volunteering

Celebrating Dragon Boat Festival

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Melodies of the Chinese Zither and the Perfume of Books
琴韵书香迎端午

Friday 30th May 2025
13:00 – 15:00
Auditorium, The McClay Library

Speaker/Performer:

  • Wei DENG (邓维), QUB alumna from School of Arts, English and Languages
  • Chen GAO (高宸), visiting PhD candidate at School of Arts, English and Languages, from Minzu University of China

Outline:

This special forum consists of two sections.

In the first half, Wei will introduce her proposed project with Ludo Dao CIC which is committed to exploring the development of an intercultural approach to musical performance, focusing on the dialogue between the Chinese traditional guzheng and Northern Irish musical instruments. She will also perform selected guzheng pieces live and warmly invites local musicians — from Queen’s and beyond — to join in this intercultural exchange through music.

In the second half, Chen will present an introduction to the Siku Quanshu (《四库全书》), the monumental imperial collection that has recently been shelved in Queen’s McClay Library. Focusing on its compilation process and the discernment of scholarly traditions, Chen will explore both the historical significance and contemporary relevance of the Complete Library of the Four Repertoires.

Register
CCP2025 Homepage

UN Chinese Language Day Forum 2025

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The UN celebrates Chinese Language Day annually on 20th April each year. This year, it falls on to a Sunday. 

The date for the Chinese day was selected from Guyu (“Rain of Millet”), which is the 6th of 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendars, to pay tribute to Cangjie. Cangjie is a very important figure in ancient China, claimed to be an official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters. Legend has it that he had four eyes and four pupils, and that when he invented the characters, the deities and ghosts cried and the sky rained millet. From then on, Chinese people celebrate the day Guyu in honour of Cangjie. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around April 20.

THE UN

To mark this special occasion, we warmly invite everyone with a passion for promoting the Chinese language and culture worldwide—whether in academic or professional settings, as teachers or learners—to join us for the UN Chinese Language Day Forum 2025.

Our two invited speakers will share their insights and reflections drawn from years of experience in intercultural workplaces, offering valuable perspectives on both academic and professional practices in a global context.

Speakers:

Xian ZHAO (赵忺) is a doctoral candidate and Professional Teaching Fellow in the School of Cultures, Languages, and Linguistics at the Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland. With a strong passion for Chinese language education, she brings extensive teaching experience across diverse cultural and academic settings, including China, the United States, Thailand, and New Zealand.

In 2019, she served as a Chinese language lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University. Prior to that, she taught at Confucius Institutes in both Thailand and the U.S., where she was actively involved in language instruction and cross-cultural exchange. Her professional contributions extend beyond the classroom—she has served as an examiner for the selection of Confucius Institute volunteer teachers and for the CTCSOL certificate (Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages).

Additionally, she has acted as a judge for the Chinese Bridge competition. Currently, her research interests lie at the intersection of individual learner differences, artificial intelligence, and language teaching. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies can enhance the learning experience and outcomes for second language (L2) learners. Xian has published her work in several top-tier academic journals such as Studies in Second Language Acquisition, System, and Language Teaching Research, among others. She also serves as a peer reviewer for more than 20 academic journals.

Ye CHEN (陈烨) is Founder of Dongyan Future Education Studio. She was a former dispatched Mandarin teacher at the Confucius Institute of Peking University and UCL. In 2023 she was named the Global Digital Gold Medal Lecturer by the Chinese Language Alliance, and in 2024 she received the Chinese Language Alliance Gold Medal for Digital Resource Application Case Study (PBL Teaching Method).

Ye has taught at UCL Academy and Seoul International School and served as a member of the question-setting committee for Korea’s Chinese College Entrance Exam mock tests (2021). She took a Chief Research Editor role in the development of an innovative vocabulary software project under Center for Language Education and Cooperation’s (CLEC, China) resource development initiative. Ye has been invited multiple times to conduct training for overseas volunteer Mandarin teachers of CLEC, as well as Chinese teacher associations in Canada, the UK, and South Korea, training over 3,000 teachers in total. Her research has been presented at international conferences, including the European Association of Chinese Teachers’ Symposium, and she has been invited to deliver lectures on AI-empowered education at the Confucius Institutes of the London School of Economics and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Registration

Date: Sunday 20th April 2025
Time: UK 09:00-10:30  | CN 16:00-17:30  | NZ 20:00-21:30 
Access: QUB MS Teams (link will be given after registration)
Languages: Chinese, with English

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Happy UN Chinese Language Day! 联合国中文日快乐！