NSU embraces Chinese traditions: Students engage in dumpling making at spring festival celebration

North South University celebrated the '2024 Spring Festival Celebration Event' on the 6^th and 7^th of February 2024, which is the most celebrated event in Chinese culture. The event was jointly organized by the Confucius Institute at North South University and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bangladesh at North-South University. 

This event aimed to introduce students to the cultural significance of Chinese New Year and Chinese dumplings while providing them with a hands-on experience of making and tasting dumplings, reads a press release.

Professor Atiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor of North South University, Dr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Member of the Board of Trustees at North South University,  Professor Abdur Rob Khan, Treasurer of North South University, Dr. Bulbul Siddiqi, Local Director of the Confucius Institute at North South University, Ms. Ma Xiaoyan, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at North-South University and the representatives of China Construction Seventh Engineering Division Corp ltd. attended the event. The event was celebrated well by the NSU students.

Professor Atiqul Islam, Dr Junaid Kamal Ahmad, and many other faculty members visited the event, wished Chinese New Year, and expressed their feelings about the Chinese New Year and the event.

Many students of North South University participated in the event with great joy and enthusiasm. Making dumplings is important in Chinese culture, especially during the Chinese New Year festivities. Students and domestic and foreign teachers from North South University actively participated in dumpling-making and other activities.

The program on 7^th February consisted of three types of activities besides distributing prizes and certificates to the winners. The first is the New Year Blessing Challenge, the second is Paper Cutting and the 3rd is Lantern DIY.

The program's highlight was awarding prizes and certificates to the winners of the "Welcoming the New Year Hard Pen Calligraphy Competition".  Professor Abdur Rob Khan handed the prizes to the competition winners.  Many students enthusiastically participated in various activities at the event and achieved numerous Chinese awards. Everyone exchanged Chinese Happy New Year greetings with great joy and enthusiasm.

Many of the students took pictures in the photo booth with interest, took pictures with the teachers, and captured various aspects of the Dumpling Tasting and Making Experience. Additionally, the media team of North South University captured memories of the event and interviewed the directors of the Confucius Institute, Chinese teachers, and students, gathering insights into their feelings about the event.

The 2024 Spring Festival Event – '2024 Spring Festival Celebration Event' proved to be a successful cultural exchange initiative, and the cross-cultural exchanges fostered an appreciation for Chinese New Year traditions among students and faculty alike. Through hands-on participation and interaction, attendees gained valuable insights into the significance of dumplings in Chinese culture, further strengthening cultural ties between China and Bangladesh.