As Chinese New Year fast approaches, De La Salle University’s ENGLICOM hopes to herald the celebrations with games, contests, parties, and performances. Chinese New Year 2024: 龙(Lóng)Lasting Roar of Bliss will be held from February 5 to 8 at the University’s Manila campus. The 4-day hybrid event is the newest rendition of the annual flagship celebration hosted by ENGLICOM, the premier Filipino-Chinese socio-civic organization in DLSU. The event brings students face-to-face with selections of booths and performances aiming to ignite interest in Chinese culture, arts, and tradition.
Among the main events and performances will be a variety of game booths, online activities, and raffle opportunities — featuring traditional and modern games, the opportunity to draw and design, and plenty of learning opportunities and prizes aimed at bringing students closer to Chinese culture and with each other. There will also be booths offering new traditional treats for each day of the event such as maltose crackers, candied haw berries, ice jelly, and sweets made with sugar painting.
To be held on February 5 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, 龙Awakening: Unleashing Prosperity with Lucky Clay centers on the main booth, Pass the Lucky Clay, which encourages students to work together to mold words out of clay for other students to guess. On the first day of the event, 龙Awakening also features a dragon and lion dance by the Wei Feng Dragon and Lion Dance Group and a performance by a group of traditional musicians from the Philippine Koc Hong Music Association.
The party will continue with Feast of Flames: A Taste of the Mysterious Chinese Delights to be held on February 6 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This event immerses students in Chinese cuisine through a game that has participants tasting a variety of mystery dishes. The venue will feature cultural performances from student performers Jasmine Joy Lim, Irvin Ong (known as JetNekko), and Nicole Sison.
From 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, February 7 has two events in store for participants held from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A Melodic Roar: Serenading the Sleeping Dragon invites students to sing their favorite songs with each other in a game of wit and memory, while The Dragon’s Might: Blazing Across the Sports Relay challenges students to a race that tests their physical limits.
Finishing strong, February 8 will end the celebration with two more events from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM. Sticky Palooza: A Glutinous Rice-making Activity involves a race for participants to craft their own glutinous rice, performances by student performers Georgiana Uy and Ting Ting Cai, and a Chinese pop performance from AJA Talent Camp. Afterward, 龙Lasting Night: The Grand Finale tops off the celebration graced by showings from the La Salle Dance Company – Street, De La Salle Innersoul, and Wushu Genesis Philippines.
Chinese New Year is an annual festival where Chinese communities around the world celebrate the coming of the lunar cycle that marks a new year. This celebration represents a time to rest, secure good fortune, visit family, and honor the dead. DLSU ENGLICOM, founded in 1964, hosts the annual celebration to encourage an appreciation for both Filipino and Chinese cultures.
Written by: Fritz Co