Chinese Cultural Centre brings spring to Abuja

The Lunar New Year is just kicking in in Asia. In Abuja, the Chinese Cultural Centre in conjuction with the FCT Secondary Education Board organised an events including cultural displays  by students of secondary schools to commemorate the Chinese Year of the Monkey. Daily Trust reports. There was a buzz coming from the main auditorium […]

The Lunar New Year is just kicking in in Asia. In Abuja, the Chinese Cultural Centre in conjuction with the FCT Secondary Education Board organised an events including cultural displays  by students of secondary schools to commemorate the Chinese Year of the Monkey. Daily Trust reports.

There was a buzz coming from the main auditorium of the Education Resources Centre, Wuse Zone 7. Hundreds of students had gathered beneath Chinese-themed red and gold festoons and buntings dangling from the ceiling, looping along the walls. There were Chinese red lanterns also hanging from the ceiling and on the elevated platform that was the stage. And at measured intervals there were gold-trimmed posters announcing the occasion: The 2016 Chinese Spring Festival.
The students, mostly from secondary schools in the capital buzzed around, anxious to get the events started. And when eventually the compeer, Mal. Yakubu Ibrahim of the FCT Secondary Education Board picked up the mic to usher in the event, the excitement was tamed. Only for a short while.
There were speeches. First the Director of the Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Rakiat Daniya, who was represented by the Deputy Director Co-Curricular, Mrs Victoria George commended the Chinese for the initiative of celebrating the annual spring Festival, which traditionally marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New year, with students of secondary school in Abuja. The gesture, she said, would create greater understanding and improved Sino-Nigeria cultural ties.
The Director of the Chinese Cultural Centre, Abuja, Mr. Yan Xiangdong called it a joyous occasions of great significance to the Chinese. There was no irony when he said, “We have chosen to celebrate this event with you, as our family.” He was the only Chinese in the audience.
Regardless, the students, when they had the opportunity strove to make him feel at home. They garnished their performances with smatterings of the Chinese language. The Chinese national anthem was sung by a Nigerian. And the students of the ERC, when they took to the stage, performed a Chinese song, accompanied by Kung Fu demonstrations – a performance that got the audience applauding. They finished off with a song in Chinese about a village where people travel to find happiness.
Students of GSS Gwarimpa decided to use their minutes of fame to educate the audience on the significance and practices of the Spring Festival. It was during this interlude that the audience learned that the festival is not only an important one for the Chinese but also a very significant vacation period where the Chinese usually travel home to celebrate with their families.
And to capture this graphically, students of Army Day Secondary School, GDSS Dutse and GSS Mpape presented paintings depicting the Spring Festival. Most of the artworks had bright colours, featured Chinese red lamps and some variants of festival dragons and fireworks.
And then the drums rolled out. The various schools took turns to outdo each other with cultural dance performances. Whereas some schools decided to stage traditional Nigerian dances, others opted to produce versions of Chinese dances. All of them impressed.
GSS Byaji presented a delightful Hausa gada dance that brought back nostalgia in the audience members familiar with the culture. While Model Secondary School impressed with their stunning costumes and scintillating Calabar dance.
Kudos should also be given to the students of GSS Jabi, who staged a short play in Chinese depicting a transaction scene where something was bought and sold. The item turned out to be a painting which was presented to Mr. Xiangdong as a gift. He certainly appreciated the gesture.
At the end of the event, prizes were awarded for performances staged during the day. Rahman International School went away with the third prize while Model Secondary School Maitama, came second and earned themselves a home theatre, courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Centre.
The grand prize of a desktop laptop was taken by Government Day Secondary School, Wuse, whose muted performance of a traditional Chinese dance, complimented by stunning costumes was adjudged the best. The students bounced around the stage, dancing in celebration as winners. They had won the same prize the previous year.
This is the 6th time the Chinese Spring Festival would be celebrated with secondary school students in the FCT in events organized by the Chinese Cultural Centre and the FCT Secondary Education Board.
Other events to commemorate the Chinese Lunar Year will continue throughout the week, with free showing of Chinese films at the Silverbird Cinema from the 5th, among other events.