More than 300 students and VIP guests attended a spectacular DMU gala to celebrate Chinese New Year, marking the start of the Year of the Sheep.
De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) societies played a big part in the event with performances throughout the night, beginning with the DMU Acapella Society singing to guests as they arrived at the venue.
Decked with Chinese lanterns as part of a traditional red theme, the venue had been hired specially to mark the occasion, with typical food including spring vegetable dumplings and Gong Bao Ji Ding – a spicy chicken dish made with peanuts and a pepper native to Sichuan.
DMU’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Strategic and International Partnerships James Gardner opened the event on stage: “As a truly international university, we recognise the importance of this special occasion for our Chinese students and are extremely honoured that they have chosen to celebrate tonight with their DMU family.”
Chinese BA Business and Management student Tang Cheng, who likes to be called Fiona in the UK, said: “It’s fantastic. New Year stands for new beginnings and I am very excited. The lighting is brilliant also, and the red theme means good luck for us.”
Third year Law student from France, Lisa Favre said: “It is very nice and it is exciting to discover new cultures.”
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The Year of the Sheep, which is associated with promise and prosperity, can also be known as the Year of the Ram or Goat – the same word is used to describe all three animals in Mandarin: yáng.
Ming Li has just started DMU’s MBA Global after successfully completing his pre-master’s course at the university’s Leicester International Pathway College. Ming, who has adopted the English name of Darren, was one of the event hosts and the first performer to take to the stage during the evening.
Speaking to him before he performed, Ming said: “I will be performing kung fu and playing my guitar with my partner. I feel a little nervous but I am very excited for this opportunity.”
Another host of the night, Si Tong, third year Accountancy and Business Management student from China said: “I am very happy to be hosting this event. I really like the venue, it’s so big and the décor is very Chinese and traditional.”
The DSU Steppers also performed as well as music society The Ehimetalor Fellas, and students from China performed traditional dance to modern Chinese music.
Lin Anqi, a Chinese student who is known as Angel to her friends, is in her third year of Marketing Management and a student ambassador.
Lin helped at the event and said: “The food is lovely. The performances are very diverse and the stage looks fantastic.
“I think this is a very good opportunity for Chinese students and other international and British students to get together to celebrate Chinese New Year.”
VIP guests Ian Blatchford, DMU’s Chair and Director of the National Science Museum and Dr Jonathan Choi, Chair of major Hong Kong conglomerate the Sunwah Group accompanied DMU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard to the event.
Dr Choi addressed the Chinese students in Mandarin, some of whom had had the opportunity to meet him earlier in the day following an important partnership signing with DMU to restore Leicester’s Great Hall for use as the Dr Jonathan KS Choi Business School.
Posted on Monday 23 February 2015