By UOW Malaysia KDU

In ancient agrarian societies of China, the cycle of the seasons marked periods of great joy and revelry, and few festivals compare with the 15 days of Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations.

The Chinese Cultural Society (CCS) of UOW Malaysia KDU recently brought to the campus the joy of the last day of CNY celebrations, called Yuan Xiao Jie, which translates to Festival of the First Full Moon Night.

The 15th day of CNY celebrations also happens to be regarded as a night of romance, so it became even more festive that it fell on Feb 14.

To relive the olden days when closely guarded maidens were allowed to stroll around in the open on this night and catch the eyes of young bachelors, CCS set up a wall full of notes inscribed with details of boys and girls. Anyone could pick one of the notes and contact the boy or girl, creating the beginnings of a blind date and letting fate decide if love could be found.

Many types of game booths were readied for fellow students to experience Chinese culture, including the ancient art of painting on teabags. It went without saying that the all-important lion dance performance was held.

Participants who won the most outstanding marks at the event’s games were rewarded with gift hampers.

The festivity became even more joyous because this was first physical event of CCS since the pandemic began.

To comply with COVID-19 precautions, the physical distancing of everyone was tightly upheld and the booths were disinfected every 30 minutes.