Festival celebration helps students understand Chinese culture

Lion dances, red lanterns, and Chinese calligraphy have brought joy to students in the United Kingdom in schools that celebrated the Chinese New Year.

Kensington Wade, a nursery and preparatory school in London, put on its biggest celebration yet for the Chinese New Year on Jan 31.

The school, which is the only one in the UK to teach all subjects in Mandarin and English, hosted a vigorous lion dance performance, which was deemed to bring good luck and fortune for the new year because the lion is revered in Chinese culture as a symbol of courage, strength, and power.

Chinese songs and workshops in traditional Chinese percussion added to the festive atmosphere for students and others who attended the event, which was open to the public.

Huw May, Kensington Wade's headmaster, said the Chinese New Year celebrations captivated the children and the wider community.

"We've enjoyed the colorful lion dance and also learned calligraphy and how to make dumplings," he said. "Our school is in the unique position of being the only one in Western Europe to provide an immersive bilingual – Mandarin and English – education from nursery to prep school. This means we take the very best from British and Chinese cultures and combine this with academic excellence and outstanding pastoral care.