On 25 and 26 September 2024, during the New Zealand Chinese Language Week, the New Zealand China Friendship Society Auckland, at the campus of the outstanding Westlake Girls High School, celebrated the Chinese Language Week with Kiwi teachers, students, and the Deputy Principal Donna Pike taking part on behalf of the Principal, Jane Stanley. Based on enthusiastic feedback from participants and attendees, the event was very successful.
The celebrations featured Chinese cultural performances and class activities, and attracted more than 300 students and teachers who participated in it to the extent that it became the highlight of the multicultural development of the campus.
On September 25, the opening ceremony was attended by Wang Jianwen, Director of Auckland China Cultural Centre in New Zealand, Donna Parker, Deputy Principal of Westlake Girls High School, Mike Dawson, Chairman of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand China Friendship Society (NZCFS) , and Mei Ding, National Executive Committee Member and National Treasurer of the NZCFS, and Daniel Pasco an Auckland Branch Committee Member of NZCFS.
In her speech, Deputy Principal, Donna Pike, expressed her heartfelt thanks to the organisers and emphasized the positive role of the Chinese Week in promoting the multicultural development of the campus. In his speech, Mike Dawson interacted with the audience comparing Chinese and English expressions, and expressing his firm support for Chinese learning.
The event began with a Maori Haka, in which many attendees actively participated, followed by a Chinese folk dance “First Sight”, a Chinese traditional instrumental ensemble “Lanting Preface”, Chinese martial arts, Chinese Poetry Reading, which recited the Song Ci “Water Melody Song Head” and “When Will There Be a Bright Moon”, as well as other wonderful performances, all of which won the audience’s enthusiastic applause.
In participating in the above activities, the students demonstrated their outstanding achievements in Chinese learning and cultural awareness. At the end of the activities, Auckland Branch President, Mike Dawson, donated 50 gifted Chinese picture books from Chinese Embassy to Westlake Girl’s High School, and the Chinese Cultural Centre Auckland, Director, Wang Jianwen, presented a calligraphy entitled “Ping An Joy” to Ms Donna Pike.
During the event, the intangible cultural heritage experience project attracted the extensive participation of more than 300 teachers and students. They made traditional crafts such as pictorials, rubbings, paper cutting and fan painting, which further deepened their interest and understanding of Chinese culture and learning the Chinese language.
One student exclaimed excitedly: “I like Chinese martial arts best, but I also learned a lot of Chinese words and sentences. Today I am really very happy!”
In two days, we also arranged Chinese painting classes and Dragon Whiskers sugar production experience courses. Under the guidance of the teachers, the students held the brush for the first time and depicted the rich artistic conception of ink painting.
In the traditional Dragon Whiskers Sugar Making classes, students, teachers and friends witnessed the magic of the sugar silk making process, where sugar silk was being pulled as thin as hair, and which caused the whole classroom to be filled with excitement and laughter.
The two days of Chinese cultural experiences and practice injected into these New Zealand China Language Week Celebrations, directly and strongly promoted Chinese language learning through lively and interesting activities, and promoted in-depth language and cultural understanding between New Zealanders and Chinese.
We acknowledge the strong support given by the Westlake Girls High School, its Principal, Jane Stanley, its Deputy Principal, Donna Pike, and all the other school staff and students who participated in it and/or otherwise supported it.
Mike Dawson
New Zealand China Friendship Society
Auckland Branch Chair
National Executive Committee Member
