INRTU Celebrates the Chinese New Year

INRTU hosted the Lunar New Year celebration. On February 2, a concert, the Year of the Dragon Festival and a national-style dinner were organized for the guests. About 400 people attended the event, including Chinese and Russian students, representatives of the Chinese Consulate General and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Irkutsk.

The Lunar New Year (Chunjie, Spring Festival) is one of the most important events for the Chinese people. This year Chunjie lasts fr om February 10 to February 24. On New Year's Day, the Chinese who work or study abroad usually go home to spend time with their families. On New Year's Eve, INRTU, wh ere Chinese students (over 380 people) make up the majority of foreigners, organized a big celebration. On that day the students of Irkutsk State University (ISU) and Baikal State University (BSU) also came to INRTU. The university lobby was decorated with lanterns, red scrolls with hieroglyphics and images of a dragon - the symbol of 2024.

Li Hai, Chinese Consul General in Irkutsk, highlighted China's achievements in economics, science, and international politics. He emphasized that in 2023 Russian-Chinese business cooperation has reached a new level: trade turnover between the two countries has increased by 26%, and new horizons has opened up in humanitarian projects and sports.

"I wish teachers and students prosperity as the Year of the Blue Dragon approaches. In 2024, the Chinese government will continue to strengthen international exchanges in education, science and technology. I hope that Chinese students in Russia will do their best in their studies, develop their potential, and become ambassadors of Russian-Chinese friendship," the Consul General said.

Vladimir Smirnov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, handed over a letter of thanks to Mr. Li Hai for his cooperation on joint projects.

The Vice-Rector noted that the friendship between China and Russia has made a positive impact on international relations in the university environment:

"Thanks to the good neighbor relations between the two countries, INRTU members can celebrate the New Year twice. I congratulate everyone on the holiday, wish them new achievements and success, and to be surrounded by the beauty we are enjoying in the university lobby today."

Yulia Malanina, Secretary of the Representative Office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Irkutsk, read a greeting message on behalf of Lyudmila Kurbatova, Head of the Representative Office. The message said that the Spring Festival dates back thousands of years. Celebrating the New Year in the Eastern style has crossed the borders and become a good tradition of many nations.

The concert began with dances by students Ma Yiwen, Zhao Yuanlin, Ye Jiayi and Wei Sisi. They showed the elegance of Uyghur choreography and the rich costumes of the Miao people. The Under the Snow Mountain dance performance by Hu Heqiqike and Zhu Hongyu immersed the audience in the centuries-old culture of Tibet.

Nyu Wenhao from ISU amazed the audience with his playing on the morin khur. The student masterfully combined traditional nomadic melodies with modern rhythms. He learned to play the violin at home in Manchuria, a city in Inner Mongolia, one of the PRC’s largest autonomous regions.

A real surprise for the students were the video greetings from home. Mothers and grandmothers sent touching greetings to their children, wishing them to study hard and dress warmly on frosty days.

The event’s program also featured interactive activities. The guests learned how to make lanterns, draw with Asian stencils, attended calligraphy lessons and played a lottery. The evening ended with a festive buffet with traditional oriental treats such as pork in sweet and sour sauce (gobaozhou), shrimps in batter, pampushki (mantou), etc.

Xia Shuang, Advisor to the INRTU Rector on China, was very impressed by the celebration. She purposely flew to Irkutsk from Shandong Province to help her colleagues organize the festive evening. As Xia Shuang said, it is the first time that such a vast immersion in Asian culture is held at INRTU:

"Look at this setting - the lanterns, the dragons, the abundance of red color.

This atmosphere makes me feel like I'm at home in China."

Overall, this holiday is not the first INRTU-launched major event on Chinese culture. Last October, the university hosted a theme festival and concert, as well as a performance by the Ice House band.

The next few days the Chinese New Year will be celebrated in Moscow. According to the website of the Moscow Mayor's Office, over February 9-18, the citizens are expected to enjoy colorful shows, food fairs and light shows. For the first time, the large-scale celebration will be held in honor of the cross years of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China.

Photo by Arseny Chekmarev, PRC Consulate website