On the afternoon of February 9, more than 50 international students remaining on campus participated in the activity of “Drawing a Loong (Chinese Dragon) on Chinese New Year's Eve” on the occasion of the joyful New Year’s eve. Mr. Jin Depeng, vice principal of UCAS, took part in the activity in person. He introduced the traditional Chinese zodiac culture, expressed hearty greetings and concerns to the international students and wished them all the blessings of the New Year.
The art instructor firstly introduced the cultural concept and artistic image of Chinese dragon to the international students, then explained the painting techniques of Chinese dragon, and finally instructed the students to paint with ink and watercolor.
Unlike the dragons in the western world, the Chinese dragon (Loong) is a symbol of strength, wisdom and auspiciousness. Loong has the power to transcend the mundane world and noble virtues, guiding people to pursue kindness and excellence. In the drawing session, students showed their strong enthusiasm and creativity, trying to draw the vividness and majesty of the dragon on the paper. Through their unremitting efforts, a number of colorful Chinese dragons full of spirituality and creativity appeared on the paper vividly.
The selection of works culminated the activity. As the number of outstanding works went beyond expectations, the original quota of Excellent Work was expanded from three to eight. The winners and their works won the applause of the instructors and students present. The activity successfully ended in laughter and group photos were taken to cherish this special memory.
Award-winning students and their works
Through “Drawing a Loong (Chinese Dragon) on Chinese New Year's Eve” activity, international students not only felt the charm of Chinese traditional culture, but also gained new experiences in cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural understanding and exchanges. Philbertson from Rwanda said, "This program is awesome! It gave me the opportunity to interact with new students and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. Today I met a great teacher who taught me how to draw, so I'm really happy! I hope we can have more opportunities to learn about Chinese culture and keep drawing as I find these are particularly fascinating." Kingsley Gyan from Ghana said, "Today was a great and special day because I have learnt a lot about Chinese new year and the Chinese dragon. Also, today has given me the opportunity to exhibit my different talent of drawing and meeting new people in the university".
Editor: GAO Yuan
