Traditional Chinese New Year flavors, such as art of paper-cutting, fresh dumplings, and the calligraphy of red-flowered fortune characters, have ignited the enthusiasm of the G6 students and teachers of SHSID.

Paper-cutting -- The beauty of non-traditional heritage with the movement of the fingers

"The Chinese folk art of paper-cutting has a long history and has been handed down for more than a thousand years since the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 AD), and it was selected as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Paper-cutting is commonly used in folklore for the festive seasons, where the maker folds, pierces and engraves the paper to create patterns such as dots, crescents and jagged teeth, and then, by working with both hands, the patterns eventually appear on the paper." As Chinese teacher Ms. Qiu Xintian introduced, this wonderful art caught the attention of all the students immediately.

After listening carefully to the explanations and demonstrations, every student was eager to try cutting out the Chinese character for “Spring (春)”, picking up scissors and learning how to do it under the guidance of the teachers. With the click of the scissors, the character "春" appeared. The students continued to create various works, such as exquisite flowers and interesting animal designs on a small piece of paper.

Dumpling making -- white dumplings with balsamic vinegar and hot soup to warm the heart

Dumplings are ancient traditional Chinese noodle dish. Originating in the Central Plains, it has been around for over 1,800 years and developed as an essential staple on the dinner table at Chinese New Year's Eve. On Wednesday, G6 non-native students and teachers came together to make dumplings in the canteen.

The staff had prepared the dumpling skins with seasoned pork and cabbage fillings, chopsticks, trays, and purified water. Everyone was so enthusiastic about making dumplings that they washed their hands as soon as they entered the canteen. Not only did the students succeed in making plump dumplings with the help of the teachers and staff, but they also gave full play to their imagination and created different shapes of starfish dumplings, coppers, and sunflower dumplings, filling the canteen with laughters.

The dumplings were quickly cooked. Everyone lined up and claimed their “unique dumplings” and enjoyed them with vinegar. The dumplings were so tasty that some students even finished the soup and ate nearly 20 dumplings!

Writing the word "fortune" -- Ink and brush to welcome the Spring

Chinese calligraphy is like a dazzling pearl that shines brightly in China's long history. Chinese teacher Ms. Xu Chen introduced the origin and history of calligraphy in vivid language and led the students into the wonderful world of calligraphy using the character “福” as an example.

The character "福" is related to wine. In ancient times, when working people had a surplus of rice, they could make wine, for which the vessel was the right half of the character "福". When the sacrifice was made to the gods, the working people were blessed. Additionally, Ms. Xu also explained the form of posting the character "福". It should be posted squarely on the door to ensure the blessings of the family and upside down in places where things are to be "poured", such as water jars and rice jars, to prevent the blessings from being "poured out".

Mr. Ni Minxue, director of MPTC at SHSID middle and primary school, who is well versed in calligraphy, personally demonstrated how to use and hold the writing brush, and showed how to write the character "福" in various fonts.

Writing Chinese characters using the brush was a challenge for our students, but each of them concentrated on their writing and got better with the teacher's guidance. From the first twists and turns, they gradually became more fluent, with horizontal and vertical hooks, dots, and strokes, all showing their aspirations for life and the future. At last, the character “福” appeared on the paper, and many students who had not been exposed to calligraphy before were able to feel the beauty of Chinese characters. What we saw was not only a piece of work written from the heart, but also a brush full of warm wishes for the New Year. The atmosphere was joyful and harmonious, and the seeds of traditional Chinese culture were sown in the hearts of the students through this interactive experience.

The spirit of Chinese New Year is not only about customs and food, but also about the good wishes that people put into it. The theme of this activity was "Exploring the Taste of Chinese New Year", which allowed students to experience the full sense of ritual, the beauty of traditional culture around them, and inspired them to develop a sense of identity and love for Chinese culture.

Written by Hazel, Shi Wenwen

Photos by G6 Chinese teachers, Ginger

Edited by Serene Yang, Ben Seevers