The old year has faded and the new year is approaching!
On the afternoon of December 29, 2023, the Institute of Japanese Language and Culture held a successful year-end party for 2023 at Room 227 of East Building 6 on Zijingang Campus. Some Chinese and Japanese students, teachers, alumni, as well as leaders of the School of International Studies, gathered at the first year-end party in 4 years, bidding farewell to the old year and ushering in the new year. The venue was filled with laughter and joy.
Around the themes “friendship” and “happiness”, students and teachers designed a series of fun and cheerful activities. Student GAO Yixiao hosted the activities and YANG Wushuang and WU Rui acted as supporting hosts. At the beginning, Professor A Lita, head of the Institute, delivered an opening speech and declared open the party. Participants reflected onthe significant events of Japanese major in 2023 before moving on to a variety of entertaining activities. Everyone pasted red antithetical couplets and wrote “a Chinese character for this year”, expressing feelings of the past year and wishes for the new one. Japanese students made and tasted traditional Japanese foods such as onigiri and natto. Then the students, teachers and alumni participated in a series of fun games, e.g., “Wasabi Challenge”, “Fastest Eater of Noodles”, “Apple Peeling”, “Musical Chairs”, and “Table Tennis Ball Bouncing”, filling the room with laughter and applause.
Apart from those fun and creative games, a variety of shows were staged. For example, the “Red and White Song Contest” inspired by the Japanese traditional New Year’s program “Kohaku Uta Gassen” included four groups of male and female students, who showcased their singing talents and stunned the audience, elevating the joyful atmosphere to a climax. Some students presented the charm of the Japanese language in anime dubbing; teachers and alumni hand made dumpling wrappers, a traditional Chinese culinary culture, adding color to the festivities. Alumni expressed their best wishes to the students and answered their questions. A special part of the party was the cultural experience, where participants revisited and experienced traditional Chinese activities like “Rope Weaving” and the national sport of “Tossing Ping Pong Ball on a Paddle” as well as traditional Japanese activities like “Tossing Balls” and “Playing Shuttlecock”, making the party a vibrant and diverse event.
Besides, a lot of prizes for pragmatic purposes, including pear sugar syrup, warm paste and hand creams, were prepared by Professor A Lita, Ms. LIU Ying and some students, e.g., XIE Rixin, WANG Hongkang, and ZHANG Haofang, to bring warmth and health to all the present. Meanwhile, CHEN Xueyuan, a graduate of 1981, prepared 50 pairs of socks of her company, bringing warmth to everyone in winter.
The New Year’s party drew to a joyful end. Everyone sang the Japanese song “If You are Happy” and posed for a group photo. The party not only showcased the varied and colorful traditional cultures of China and Japan, expressing best wishes for a new year, but also linked everyone of the Institute together in a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
It is our sincere hope that everyone joins hands for a bright future.
Text: WU Xinyi
Photos: WANG Xizhou, WANG Min, et al.
Review: A Lita
Institute of Japanese Language and Culture
Translated by CHEN Yannian, Proofread by XU Xueying
