Celebrating Year of the Snake
As we bid farewell to the dynamic and powerful Year of the Loong (Chinese Dragon), we warmly embrace the graceful and intuitive Year of the Snake, which begins on Wednesday 29th January 2025. The Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom, transformation, and elegance — qualities that inspire reflection and growth as we move forward together.
At Queen’s University Belfast, we continue to celebrate this special occasion, known as Spring Festival (春节, Chūnjié) in Chinese-speaking communities, as part of our rich Cultural Diversity Celebrations Scheme. Join us as we mark another grand New Year with festivities, cultural appreciation, and opportunities to learn about the traditions that make this celebration so meaningful.
Wishing all our students and staff a prosperous, insightful, and joyful Year of the Snake!
This CNY Celebration Programme is a collaborative effort by Queen’s staff teams and student societies, organised by The Language Centre, QUB iRISE Staff Network, One Elmwood Student Experience Team, Queen’s Students’ Union, as well as Chinese Students’ Society, supported by Diversity and Inclusion Unit, People and Culture.
January 2024
| From | To* | Event | Output |
| Sun 05/01 | Fri 17/01 | Drawing the Snake Competition | Exhibition |
| Sun 05/01 | Fri 17/01 | ArtEast exhibition – Call for Contribution | Exhibition |
January 2024
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Mon 13/01 | 13:00- 16:00 | Pre-CNY Workshops | Event page |
| Wed 22/01 | 12:00- 16:00 | CNY Celebration Launch Event | Event page |
| Fri 24/01 | 15:00- 16:00 | The Path to Inner Harmony: Buddhist Wisdom, Chinese Philosophy, and Meditation for Modern Life | Event page |
| Sat 25/01 | 18:00- 21:00 | Spring Festival Gala (CSSA) | |
| Mon 27/01 | 13:00- 14:00 | The Art of ‘Blank Space’ in Chinese Martial Arts Literature | Event page |
| Fri 31/01 | 13:00- 14:00 | ‘Happiness’ in China: Tracing Conceptual Shifts from a Digital Humanities Perspective | Event page |
February 2024
| Date | Time | Event | Output |
| Sun 02/02 | 11:00- 14:00 | CNY Open House (MSSNI) | |
| Sun 02/02 | 18:00- 21:00 | CNY Dinner (MSSNI) | |
| Mon 03/02 | 13:00- 14:00 | Women in Shanghai fashion magazines from 1930s to 1940s | Event page |
| Wed 05/02 | 12:00- 13:00 | Food and Festivals of China and NI – A visiting academic’s story | Event page |
| Fri 07/02 | 13:00- 15:00 | EAFF Seminar and Screening: The Loong’s Land – My China Story | Event page |
| More to come… |