The Chinese Spring Festival is synonymous to the New Year’s celebrations and marking this important occasion of the Chinese culture, Institute of Modern Language of the University of Dhaka and The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh organised a cultural programme. The event was staged at the TSC auditorium yesterday, which was transformed into a festive venue with decorations that was clearly an amalgamation of China and Bangladesh.
The programmed was opened with a welcome speech by the Pro-Vice Chancellor-Academic of DU, Professor Dr Nasreen Ahmad and followed by a speech from the Chinese Cultural Counselor, of the Chinese Embassy in Bang;adesh, Mr Chen Shuang . Following the welcome speeches from the honourable guests, the programme began on full swing with entertaining hosts, who spoke both Bangla and Chinese with ease. The students and teachers of the Chinese Language Department of the Institute of Moderen Language arranged an enjoyable programme that presented an array of songs, dance performance, martial arts, yoga, silent comedy show and another interesting cultural exchange, where noted and celebrated personalities of both the country was portrayed.
The first performance of the event was a song rendered by the students, welcoming spring through a melodious Chinese song. Their presentation was much applauded by the audience, as Chinese is a difficult language to learn and the singers were in their element all throughout the song in the presence of a houseful of audience. The next performance that got the audience appreciation and filled the auditorium with laughter was a silent comedy. A solo dance performance of a Bangladeshi student to a Chinese folk tune was also worthy of praise. The dancer was dressed in traditional Chinese dress and the presentation had grace, as well as beauty.
The “peacock dance” number by a group of Bangladeshi students was upbeat and brought a lively atmosphere to the entire show. This was followed by a dance recitation by three Chinese women, who are teachers of the department of Chinese Language. Attired in traditional red Sari, the trio danced to the celebrated Bangla song Nau Chariya Dey. Although belonging to a different culture, these ladies did not miss a step of the lively dance piece and got the audience to their feet at the end of their performance.
The part of the programme that was interesting as well as a learning experience was the “China-Bangladesh Celebrities Show” that was portrayed in an innovative manner. Participants of the segment dressed up as noted personalities and celebrities of both the countries and came onstage, while a voiceover described them. Among the presentation from the Bangladesh side, characters such as Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jibonananda Das and Suchitra Sen were presented. From the Chinese side, celebrities such as Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Lishi Chen and of course Confucius was portrayed.
Mr Chen Shuang, the Chinese cultural counselor said: “This is the second time we are celebrating the Spring Festival in Bangladesh. I really enjoy how the people of this country welcome and embrace our culture.”
About the celebrations, Professor Dr Nasreen Ahmad told the Dhaka Tribune: “This kind of celebration is a wonderful platform for cultural exchange. Many Chinese students come to Bangladesh to learn Bangla and they arrange cultural programmes to let the Bangladeshis know about the rich background of China.”
Mahmudul Hasan, a participant who played Lishi Chen and also one of the organiseres of the event told the Dhaka Tribune: “This is a great opportunity for us to portray our knowledge of the Chinese culture that we acquire during our classes. We hope to celebrate this grand occasion next year on a larger scale.”
