Lunar New Year, the most important festival for Chinese people, brings together every family to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Under the pandemic, in order to avoid the risk of being infected by COVID-19 due to travelling to and from different regions, some students have decided to spend the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday in Macau. On CNY’s Eve (31st Jan, 2022), accompanied by the university management team, Prof. Yonghua SONG, Rector of University of Macau (UM), visited Ma Man Kei and Lo Pak Sam College (MLC) and celebrated the Spring Festival with teachers and students. Prof. YANG Liu, College Master of MLC and the teachers and students who were staying on campus warmly welcomed them and guide the activities to proceed smoothly.
Spring arrives at home at the beginning of the year, and the Year of the Tiger is full of blessings
Supported by University of Macau Development Foundation (UMDF), MLC has organized an activity named “Out with the Old, In with the New: Chinese Culture Workshop and Dialogues between Chinese Culture & World Culture” for the teachers and students who were staying on campus. The College would like to spend the CNY with them by writing red couplets, making Chinese knots and appreciating artwork together, at the same time to inherit the excellent traditional Chinese culture and to understand the difference between Chinese culture and World culture. This workshop let teachers and students have a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of our Chinese culture and enhanced students’ cross-cultural communication skills. During the workshop, Rector Yonghua SONG, Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) King Man HUI, Vice Rector (Global Affairs) Rui Paulo da Silva MARTINS, Vice Rector (Research) Wei GE, Vice Rector (Student Affairs) Billy SO, Director of Rector’s Office Carol WONG, Dean of Students Paul PANG, Director of Campus Management and Development Office Dick LAI and Functional Head of Office of Vice Rector (Student Affairs) Natalie WONG arrived at MLC to care about the teachers and students of MLC who stayed in Macau for CNY holiday.
UM leaders and MLC teachers & students appreciating Chinese National Intangible Cultural Heritage Paper Cut Exhibition
Prof. Yonghua SONG, Rector of University of Macau, led the university leaders to come to MLC and to spend the CNY Eve with College students. They inherited Chinese culture together and had cordial exchanges. The university leaders, MLC teachers and students were appreciating varied Chinese National Intangible Cultural Heritage paper cutting such as “Strong Tiger”, “Lucky Tiger Welcoming Spring” and “Tiger Blesses China”. They have also appreciated several pieces of Dutch graphic arts. The symmetrical beauty and configuration art of Chinese paper-cut patterns and the fractal and symmetrical beauty of Dutch graphic arts have formed a unique dialogue between Chinese and Western art and culture.
UM leaders and MLC teachers & students appreciate Chinese Culture & Flower Arranging Exhibition together
The university leaders, MLC teachers and students were appreciating the “Chinese Culture & Flower Arranging Exhibition” prepared by the College teachers and students. The flowers exhibited include plum, orchid, lucky bamboo, chrysanthemum and roses. Plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are the four gentlemen of the flowers and symbolize divine purity, resilience, the fragrance of the royalty and longevity. At the same time, the exhibition also displayed the famous impressionist paintings “Impression, Sunrise” and “Water Lilies”. From the independent character of the four gentlemen of the flowers to the fuzzy beauty of impressionist water lilies, we could see the common beauty and different beauty in Chinese and Western flower arrangement and painting art.
UM leaders & MLC cultivating flowers and educating people together
After the appreciation of flower culture exhibition, MLC students presented each university leader a rose, which expressed their gratitude for the love and cares from the university. The leaders put the bright roses into the same vase as a symbol and commemoration of cultivating flowers and educating people together.
UM leaders watched “Short Film of Love China Love Macau Activities” of MLC and praised that MLC activities were held outstandingly
The university leaders have watched the “Short Film of Love China Love Macau Activities” of MLC in the 1st semester together. Then Rector SONG warmly greeted the teachers and students who were staying on campus. He hoped that the teachers and students spend the CNY happily in Macau. Rector SONG had especially mentioned that MLC was at a turning point that having moved to W31 Temporary Hostel in support to the university’s development. He thanked MLC for their great effort in organizing various featured activities under difficult conditions and it was highly recognized.
UM leaders presented Lucky Bags to MLC students and celebrated CNY together
Rector Yonghua SONG and other university leaders presented each student a Lucky Bag. The students deeply felt the cares from UM, UMDF and MLC. The students also presented the leaders “Fu (Happiness)” and red couplets which were written by themselves. The activity was full of laughter and joy.