One of the highlights was the Lion Dance display and procession from the Lanyon Building to The McClay Library, followed by a Chinese Buffet Lunch at the Great Hall where over 100 staff members and students were treated to a delicious Chinese menu provided by Queen’s Catering.

Other celebratory events included a series of Chinese culture talks exploring various aspects of Chinese culture, covering Chinese language, philosophy, mythology, board games and sports, with contributions from Chinese postgraduates from various Schools at Queen’s and the Chinese community in Belfast.

Mr William Olphert, Managing Director of the Chinese Welfare Association, delivered an inspiring talk on working with the Chinese community. He expressed a strong interest in collaborating with the Language Centre to promote intercultural communication between the Chinese community at Queen’s and other cultural groups.

As part of the Chinese New Year celebration programme, The Language Centre also facilitated a table tennis taster session, followed by a tournament, hosted by QUB Table Tennis Club at the Physical Education Centre (PEC).

More than 80 nationalities are represented by QUB students and staff members. With over 600 Chinese students enrolling at QUB and a growing range of new academic relationships and research collaborations between QUB and Chinese partner institutions, these celebrations provide the perfect opportunity to boost an increasingly multicultural University.  

The Language Centre at Queen’s would like to thank all staff and students for their participation in the Chinese New Year celebrations and wish everyone at Queen’s a very happy and prosperous Year of the Rooster.