New Zealand Chinese Language week celebrations
新西兰中文周，让我们一起 “踏春，赏月，学汉语”
It’s New Zealand Chinese Language Week. Let us “walk the spring, enjoy the moon and learn Chinese”.
The Confucius Institute, the Faculty of Education, Wai-te-ata Press and the School of Languages and Cultures have events planned throughout the week culminating in a public concert at Te Papa Soundings Theatre. Also, in preparation for the celebrations, Wai-te-ata Press and Confucius Institute have reprinted the bilingual edition of Best New Zealand Poems.
The first of its kind in a western country, NZ Chinese Language Week began in 2014 with the aim of increasing Chinese language learning in New Zealand and strengthening cross-cultural relations with our largest trading partner, China.
Rebecca Needham, Director of the Confucius Institute at Victoria University, says that Chinese Language Week is a great opportunity to remind New Zealanders of the importance of learning more about Chinese language and culture.
“We need especially to encourage the younger generation, for whom learning about foreign languages and cultures is now essential if they are to be able to compete in the future global jobs market,” she says.
Professor Stephen Dobson, senior lecturer Dr Jenny Horsley and Head of the School of Education Dr Carolyn Tait kicked off the celebrations with a professional development day for the Victoria Confucius Institute Mandarin Language Assistants on Saturday 22 September.
At 10am on Monday 24 September, Wai-te-ata Press hosted a morning tea to celebrate the Moon Festival. Ya-Wen Ho and Duncan Campbell gave a talk on their recent trip to Taiwan to research the origins of a set of printing type in the Chinese language used to print the Chinese Growers’ Monthly. This article in the Spinoff provides some interesting insight into the type and its connection to Chinese New Zealand history.
The School of Languages and Cultures will host the New Zealand Centre for Literary Translation “spring gathering” on Tuesday 25 September from 4–6pm. Featured speaker Duncan Campbell will give a short talk entitled ‘Wang Meng on the Mind’.
On Wednesday 26 September at 5pm, the Confucius Institute will host an Exhibition Opening of Art on Art: Lee Ka-sing Visual Poems on Level 3 of the Victoria University of Wellington Library. Dr Dennitza Gabrakova from the School of Languages and Cultures will speak at the launch to provide cultural context and critical insight.
Moon Dance, a Chinese Folk Extravaganza—a celebration of dance and music from the diverse cultures of China and performed by one of China’s foremost cultural performing arts institutions, Minzu University in Beijing—takes place at Te Papa Soundings Theatre on Thursday 27 September at 1.15pm.
Brought to you by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, the free performance features a Mongolian group dance, a cockfighting dance from the Miao people and a wedding dance from the Dai people.
“Moon Dance is a highlight of the Confucius Institute’s cultural programme this year,” says Rebecca, “We also hope that as many as possible get involved during the celebrations—through the Five Phrases Challenge, entering the competition for a free trip to China or getting along to one of the many events.