Category Archives: media

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.

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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.

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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.

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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！

Lantern Festival Celebration

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As the Lantern Festival falls on Wednesday, 12th February, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues and students who have supported our celebration programme in various ways.

To mark the conclusion of the Year of the Snake Celebration Programme, recognise the winners of the Drawing the Snake Competition, and express our gratitude to our volunteers and contributors, we warmly invite you to our “Lantern Festival” stands in the foyer area of One Elmwood on Wednesday, 12th February, from 12:30 to 13:30. Join us for a special gathering and award ceremony, where we will celebrate your contributions, share joyful moments, and reflect on the unforgettable highlights of this year’s festivities.

Fun Time with Table Tennis

As part of our celebration tradition, we host a Table Tennis Event around the Lantern Festival to promote networking and community building as a key highlight of the Lantern Festival celebration. Sponsored by the QUB iRISE Staff Network, this event warmly invites students, staff members, and their families to take part in a fun and friendly gathering. It offers a chance to engage with one of the most popular sports in Chinese communities while also fostering well-being through physical activity and social interaction.

Additionally, we invite you to explore the ArtEast Online Exhibition, showcasing a diverse collection of artworks by local Chinese artists. The artists would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to further enhance their presentations.

Thank you for your enthusiastic participation! While our Chinese Culture Forum 2025 will continue to present events and activities in the future, we look forward to celebrating with you again next year as we welcome the Year of the Horse!

Happy Year of the Snake

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Launch of the Chinese New Year celebrations (Wednesday 22 January) – open to all students and staff

With the arrival of the Year of the Snake on Wednesday 29 January, we would like to send our best wishes to all those who celebrate it and its variations (Lunar New Year in some Asian countries) and invite staff and students to join together on Wednesday 22 January for the main launch event, as below.

This is a collaborative event, organised by The Language Centre, One Elmwood Student Experience Team, Queen’s Students’ Union, CSSA, MSSNI, Ppi Belfast, and Queen’s iRISE Staff Network, supported by People and Culture Diversity and Inclusion team.

  • 12:00 – 13:00      Welcome Reception (Auditorium, McClay Library) – please register for this here.
  • 13:00 – 13:30      Dragon Dance and Parade – departing from McClay Library through Lanyon, finishing at One Elmwood Student Centre and Students’ Union)
  • 13:30 – 16:00      Cultural Fair and Performances (One Elmwood Foyer – Ground Floor) – no registration required

Chinese Culture Forum

The celebration of the Year of the Snake also announces the start of our Chinese Culture Forum in 2025, with the following talks contributed by Queen’s staff and students, including visiting academics and students from a range of disciplines. Check the programme button and book the events that you are interested in.

CCP2025 Homepage

More events to be uploaded

We are open to proposals for a variety of events that you would wish to help with or contribute to developing our CCP2025 programme. Please do not hesitate to submit your proposals via the form below and we will get in touch with you in due course after your submission.

Laba Festival and CNY2025

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Happy Laba Festival (腊八节 Làbā jié)! Falling on the 8th day of the 12th month (called 腊月 làyuè) in the lunar calendar, this Laba Festival is often seen as the signal of the arrival of the Chinese New Year (aka. Spring Festival 春节 Chūn jié in China).

Laba congee cooked | Image@LiangWANG

On the day, in many places across China, mainly the north, northwest and southeast, people cook and eat Laba congee (腊八粥 làbā zhōu), typically made of rice, mixed beans, various nuts and dried fruits, etc., all of which are believed to be good for health. Having Laba congee can keep one feel warm and spirited in the cold and wet weather.

With the Laba Festival arriving today on 7th January this year, one can be certain that the Chinese New Year – Year of the Snake (蛇年 Shénián) starting from 29th January, is just around the corner.

Call for CNY participation

While we are busy preparing for the CNY2025 Programme, we would like to invite you to join us in a few activities that can bring the celebrative elements together. The following calls for participation are totally voluntary and you are welcome to attend one or all, as long as you feel like relevant and meaningful.

Pre-CNY Workshops
蛇年新春工作坊

This event is for all QUB students, staff and their families who currently reside in Belfast and NI.

Volunteering for CNY Events
春节活动志愿者招募

This event is for staff and students at Queen’s to volunteer at our series of events such as the CNY Gala, CNY Interactive Fair, Culture Workshops, etc.

Chinese Forum Talks

We always welcome public talks covering a variety of topics from students and scholars at Queen’s and from elsewhere.

We would like to thank you for your support and look forward to welcoming you to join our celebrations that are to come soon. Stay tuned!

Happy Year of the Loong

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The 龙 Lóng (or Loong / Chinese Dragon) has just arrived at Queen’s!

What an exciting day to welcome the auspicious 龙 Lóng (or Loong / Chinese Dragon) to Queen’s One Elmwood on Thursday 8th February, regardless of the blustery weather (which was said to be accompanying the Loong)!

Dragon Dance performed by QUB Success Lion Dance Club at One Elmwood social space.

Over 60 staff and student representatives from a range of diverse cultural backgrounds celebrated the launch of Year of The Chinese Dragon programme, jointly organised by the Language Centre, iRISE Staff Network, Student Experience Team, The Graduate School, Chinese Students and Scholars Association, supported by Diversity, Inclusion and Staff Wellbeing Unit, and partially sponsored by the QUB Annual Fund.

Professor Margaret Topping, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement, welcomed the value of contact between different languages and cultures for the benefit of enhanced mutual respect through intercultural exchange.

Professor Margaret Topping, PVC (Global Engagement), delivered a welcome speech to the audience.

We wish that this celebration programme on the Year of The Chinese Dragon, as part of our Celebrating Cultural Diversity at Queen’s scheme, will make a contribution to the multicultural campus development, which sees differences as strength to foster an environment of open-mindedness and acceptance.

The Launch event featured student/alumni performances including guzheng music and classical dance, QUB Staff Wellbeing Choir’s singing of both Chinese and local songs, and the bustling and exciting Dragon Dance inside One Elmwood, followed by an interactive CNY Fair with cultural displays.

  • Guzheng performance by DENG Wei, QUB graduate in Arts Management
  • Classical dance performed by XU Xiaowen, MSc candidate in Construction and Project Management
  • Celebrating with the performers
  • Chinese songs sung by Staff Wellbeing Choir
  • Group photo after Dragon Dance at One Elmwood
  • CNY Fair with God of Fortune and Student Experience Team

The CNY celebration programme includes a three-week-long events and it welcomes all students and staff members to choose their favourate ones to attend in the coming two weeks. For full programme and registration links, please visit CCP2024 Homepage.

More photos will be added to our FB account and if you wish to share yours with us, please attach them via the Comment box below, or click the link for multiple uploading

CNY Photo Collection

Memorable experience in MA Arts Management Showcase

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How exciting when you were selected for a panel discussion on your research work and experience as part of your postgraduate degree study at Queen’s?

Today we invite Ruinan PENG (彭瑞楠), MA in Arts Management 2022-2023, from School of Arts, English and Languages, to share her wonderful experience of being invited for the Arts Management Showcase event on 7th November 2023.

What’s it about the Arts Management Showcase event?

The MA Arts Management Showcase is actually part of the annual Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, which provides a great opportunity to display outstanding Queen’s MA Arts Management students’ research to the professional circles and the public for a wider social impact.

Click here to view the whole programme of ESRC Festival of Social Science 2023

At the event, the convention is that a senior guest speaker would be invited to share his or her research on the culture and arts field, followed by a presentation of selected outstanding postgraduate research work and a round-table discussion with the guest speaker. Therefore, this showcase event is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate Arts Management teaching and research outcomes at Queen’s and communicate with professional researchers in arts management from outside Queen’s.

What was your experience on the day?

As one of the four student speakers, I presented my dissertation (学位论文 xuéwèi lùnwén) which was about curating (策展 cèzhǎn) and audience engagement (观众参与 guānzhòng cānyù) in contemporary art exhibitions (当代艺术展 dāngdài yìshùzhǎn), exploring how curating constructs audiences’ experiences and facilitates audience engagement in contemporary art exhibitions. Alongside me, Dr. Christina Ballico, and my classmates, Holly and Stephanie, presented their research in terms of ‘music city’, ‘arts engagement of the working class (工人阶级 gōngrén jiējí)’, and ‘music education development in Northern Ireland’. Their presentations were interesting and insightful, illustrating a bigger picture and sketching out the details about how to develop an inclusive, equal cultural engagement for cities, artists, and the public. Also, their research methods and case studies expanded my knowledge of conducting arts management both in the academic and professional domains.

There was a Q&A panel and a networking (会后交流 huìhòu jiāoliú) session following the end of the presentation.

Ruinan at the panel discussion | Photo provided by Ruinan PENG

What was your feeling about such an experience?

It was not only a rewarding moment to ‘show off’ my efforts in my independent research but also a lovely reunion with my supervisors, classmates, and friends. Reviewing my  experience of studying at Queen’s, I had a strong sense of achievement (成就感 chéngjiùgǎn) and gained many opportunities to improve my language and intercultural skills, and develop my research abilities, thanks to the small-scale class, diverse classmate backgrounds, high-standard course programme, and professional and dedicated teachers. I treated this event as my reward for my study at Queen’s and hope that more Chinese students at Queen’s step onto this showcase stage in the future.

Ruinan at the panel discussion | Photo provided by Ruinan PENG

Author: Ruinan PENG
Editors: Lauren McShane and Liang WANG

Call for Volunteering for CNY Celebrations

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Happy International Volunteer Day (05/12)!

The Language Centre is organising a Chinese New Year Celebration Information Session to mark the International Volunteer Day (05/12) on Monday 04/12 (13:00-15:00) at the Auditorium, McClay Library. If you are interested in what’s going to happen and how you can get involved, feel free to pop in and join us in the session.

Call for volunteers

As the Year of the Dragon (龙年春节) is arriving in Feb 2024, we are looking for talented students and staff members to volunteer for our Chinese New Year celebration 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.

If you would like to express your interest in volunteering for the preparation and delivery of the proposed events, feel free to scan the QR code, or click the Form URL below to submit your interest.

Volunteering

We also look forward to working with you in our future language and cultural events.

Language Centre Course Enrolment

The second enrolment for courses, including Chinese, to start in January 2024 has now been available online. Anyone wishing to learning Chinese can find relevant course timetable and registration information from The Language Centre Homepage.

Recruitments

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【招募古筝表演】
招募人数：1人
参演日期：9月20日 周三
参演地点：Queen’s校园
参演时间：中午，不超过半小时
是否有偿：是
要求：Queen’s 在读学生
联系人：王老师
联系方式：liang.wang[at]qub.ac.uk
招募截止日期：9月10日

A guzheng for display at the Language Centre office. Photo: Liang WANG

【招募拍摄助理】
招募人数：2人
拍摄日期：9月23日 周六
拍摄地点：Queen’s校园和市中心
拍摄时间：全天8小时（最多）
是否有偿：是
要求：须为Queen’s 持有Tier4 签证的在读学生、擅长拍摄建筑、对构图有审美、自带设备更佳
联系人：何老师
联系微信：carriehe2016
招募截止日期：9月15日

Queen’s Media and Broadcast PG students (Mengjia QU, Jiaqi LI and Xiaoya WU) working onsite. Photo: Liang WANG

Call for volunteers 常招志愿者

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