Quest International University Perak (QIU)’s students and staff rang in the Year of the Rat with a fun-filled Chinese New Year celebration here yesterday (Jan 22).
The dinner marked the culmination of a month-long Chinese New Year celebration, which featured events organised by several student clubs, as well as organisations from the local community.
As always, the celebration was a truly multicultural affair, with staff and students from all over the globe enthralled by the colourful festivities.
QIU Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Goh said the myriad of different activities allowed the students to learn more about the celebration.
“There is a wide-ranging spectrum of history and tradition involved in the Chinese New Year festival – it is more than just lion dances and tossing yee sang,” said Goh.
“We are very proud of the way our staff and students from different countries and regions came together as one to make this month-long celebration a success, while also learning about the Chinese culture,” he added.
On January 8, the CNY-themed events kicked off with a special ’24 Season’ drum performance from the students of SMJK Poi Lam.
The festive atmosphere was boosted further by QIU’s Event Planning Club, who has set up a mini Chinatown district in the university’s Student Centre from Jan 13 to Jan 22. On offer were traditional goodies like biscuits, popiah, savoury snacks, oranges and small decorations.
On Jan 15, the action continued with a calligraphy workshop and Taekwondo demonstration at the Student Centre – the latter courtesy of the Cornerstone Taekwondo Club.
And on the same day, the QIU Rotaract Club organised an Aikido demonstration conducted by renowned self-defence trainer Melvin Leong, who has been teaching Aikido for more than a decade.
The celebrations rose to a crescendo during yesterday’s celebration dinner, which began with the customary lion dance performance and fireworks show. On hand to bring the thunder and spectacle was the always-spectacular lion dance troupe from SMJK Poi Lam.
This was followed by the traditional yee sang toss, where hundreds of our staff and students joined in to wish for a prosperous new year.
The performances then got underway with a Wushu demonstration from SMJK Poi Lam and a traditional dance performance from SMJK Sam Tet.
QIU’s staff and students then took the stage with an entertaining fashion show featuring traditional Chinese outfits.
Adding to the celebration’s international flavour, Kazakh student Ayaulym Turdybay performed a beautiful rendition of the hit song ‘Endless Love’ originally sang by Jackie Chan and Kim Hee-Sun.
More than a dozen students also rang in the New Year with a stroke of luck as they walked away with ‘angpow’ red packets during the lucky draw event.
