UTAR Chinese New Year Celebration 2020 (CNY 2020) – Shu Yi (属·忆) was held at the Heritage Hall of Kampar Campus from 14 to 15 February 2020.

CNY 2020 was organised by the Chinese Language Society of Kampar Campus (CLS). It aimed to promote and raise the awareness of Chinese culture among students and the general public.

In his welcome remarks, Dr Lim congratulated the committee members for making the event a success and said, “The CLS members have proven themselves to be capable of organising this meaningful programme for the university and the local community which is not only to entertain the audience but to also spread the Chinese culture to all UTAR students, staff and also the public. UTAR’s six pillars of educational philosophy promote core values which are guiding principles in supporting the holistic development of our students. Therefore, in addition to focusing on students’ academic performance, the University also attaches great importance in cultivating humanities and healthy thinking. Apart from studying hard, the university also encourages students to participate in different community activities through actual involvement to achieve a balanced university life and learn beyond textbook knowledge.”

About the theme and the origin of the event, Chye revealed, “The theme Shu Yi means ‘creating memories which belong to us’, and it also means reviewing the past. Therefore, we hope that this event will provide a platform for the participant to gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture. It is worth to mention that this is the largest Chinese New Year celebration event since the founding of CLS. A total of 50 organising committees and 200 committee members came together. And we spent roughly six months preparing for the event.” He added, “With the rise of social media, many young people have gradually forgotten the traditional Chinese culture and customs, so we hope that the CNY 2020 will be an activity that brings joy to everyone.”

The cultural night was comprised of various performances including 24 Festive Drum, Wushu, Diabolo, face changing, crosstalk, Chinese orchestra, traditional dance, LED light dragon and lion dance, and the finale of the night – ‘Salted Fish Dream’ (《咸鱼梦想》) musical theatre. It told the story of an ordinary boy who chased his dream of being an actor despite being opposed by his family members. It aimed to encourage the audience to follow their dreams.

The two-day event was filled with an array of exciting activities, such as Chinese heritage workshop on Chinese paper cutting, handmade traditional ornaments, dough figurine, ink wash painting, embroidery, tea art and Chinese knots; Chinese cultural performances; Han Fu (traditional Chinese attire); Chinese calligraphy competition and funfairs. Since the first day of the event took place during the Valentine’s Day, the organising committee set up booths for Pao Gan (throwing Mandarin Orange into a pool). This activity provided a chance for the students to experience the tradition of the Oriental Valentine’s Day – Chap Goh Mei (元宵节).

UTAR CLS Kampar Campus was founded in 2009. It aimed to promote Chinese culture among the students and staff. There are four units parked under the society which are Chinese Diabolo, Chinese Debate, Chinese Tea Art and Cultural and Chinese Traditional Dance.