Northwestern’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association and Chinese International Student Association hosted a Chinese New Year Gala at Ryan Family Auditorium on Sunday.
Drawing over 400 attendees, the gala featured a mix of modern and traditional performances, including Chinese pop songs, traditional dances and stand-up comedy.
CSSA President and third-year Ph.D. student in electrical engineering Xi Cheng said gathering with family to watch the nationally-broadcast Spring Festival Gala in China is one of the major festivities in celebrating Chinese New Year. Because of the event’s importance, Cheng wanted to offer this opportunity to Chinese international students away from home.
“A lot of students have not been home or seen their family in a long time, so we want to act as a bridge to bring the tradition to them here,” said Cheng, who had been overseeing the event planning since November.
Chinese New Year is marked by the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which falls on Feb. 17 this year, and ends with the Lantern Festival, which signifies letting go of the past, on March 3.
This year represents the transition from the Chinese zodiac of the Wood Snake to the Fire Horse. The horse, which symbolizes energy and passion, was referenced in interim University President Henry Bienen’s recorded remarks shown at the gala.
“The Year of the Horse is considered a year of galloping — I wish you and your families a healthy, prosperous and successful year,” Bienen said in a recorded message.
Chicago Chinese Embassy Vice-Consul Xutao Zhang and Asian languages and cultures Prof. Licheng Gu also spoke at the gala. NU’s Chinese cultural dance club, Typhoon Dance Troupe, opened the event with a performance titled “Fleeting Glamour, Walls Aglow.”
Weinberg sophomore Claire Ruan, who danced with the troupe, said the dance symbolized the time travelers observing the coming alive of Kizil cave murals in Xinjiang, which is sought to depict the earliest transmission of Buddhism in China.
“Our movements become a lot sharper and more angular as the music gets fast-paced,” Ruan said. “The time travelers slowly move around the ‘murals,’ and it’s almost as if they are observing us in a sad way.”
First-year Custom Leadership Program Master’s students Yuncheng Chi and Teng Yang performed an original rap track, produced by Chi, called “Dragon Roams the World.” Chi, who also goes by the artist name Co-Chi, said he interacted with the audience because he wanted everyone to enter the new year with vigorous energy and power.
The hyped-up crowd rose for the song and echoed Chi in the chorus by chanting “lóng téng,” meaning “soaring dragon.”
“No matter what age we are at, as long as we carry a spirit of risk-taking and youth, we can achieve anything,” Chi said.
The gala also featured singers from SPKL Sparkle! Music Club, NU’s first Chinese music club. In tribute to Hong Kong singer and songwriter Khalil Fong’s passing last year, the student group performed a medley of Fong’s most popular songs.
SPKL Sparkle! performer and Bienen and Weinberg first-year Lucas Xiang said the show was a way for him to connect with his culture.
“I’m an international student who has left home since I was 11 years old for boarding school, so I didn’t really get the chance of celebrating,” Xiang said. “But after I got here, I have a bunch of people I can connect with on this special holiday.”
Cheng said bringing together Chinese tradition and modern pop catered the event toward a student audience and helped it be a “window” to showcase Chinese culture.
For instance, the night ended with a performance of the Chinese song “Nán Wàng Jīn Xīao,” or “Unforgettable Night,” which is considered the closing song for China’s official Spring Festival Gala. The song signifies the reunion of loved ones and auspiciousness for the New Year ahead.
“A lot of people might perceive the Northwestern Chinese community as an exclusive one,” Cheng said. “But I hope that through this event, we can break down this barrier.”
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