Annually, in The Hague, the National Celebration of Chinese New Year takes place. This year, on February 24th, the city hall was extensively decorated with red and gold ornaments, illuminated lanterns, and various stalls, while lively music filled the space.
Of course, as Confucius Institute Maastricht, we couldn’t miss this event.
In addition to calligraphy, books, and fun little Chinese trinkets at our table, you could also make your own stamps, try on hanfu, and learn all about Chinese culture. People from all backgrounds came together, contributing to the festive atmosphere of the event and the parade, led by winding dragons and an artful lion dance through Chinatown.
In a speech, among others, the organizer Lili Dong (董莉丽) and the Chinese Ambassador Tan Jian (谈践) spoke. The Mayor of The Hague, Van Zanen, ended by wishing the audience a happy new year in Chinese (“新年快乐!”), very heartwarming! Then, the audience was treated to a fantastic show, followed by performances from Dutch schools.
We were also invited to participate this year, and after much practice, four participants from the Chinese Bridge 2023 stood on stage shining. The Western violin and bamboo flute formed a unique fusion of regions, while classical Chinese dance was performed in the foreground to visually enrich the whole. This performance revolved around the poem Guan Ju, which was recited bilingually. We had so much fun and look forward to next year!