On the evening of December 12 in 2018, the 2019 New Year’s Gala for ASEAN and Chinese University Students, presented by Foreign Affairs Office in Chengdu and CCAA, hosted by Chengdu-ASEAN Center and Chengdu government, was held ceremoniously in the gymnasium of Chengdu University. In this event, we have not only leaders from different departments in Chengdu and leaders from China-ASEAN Center, but also consular officials in China from ASEAN countries coming a long way to celebrate the New Year together with all the teachers and students and also 350 international students from other universities. This event is aimed to enhance the communication between international students and promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.
The New Year’s Gala began with the speeches of those leaders.
Vice mayor of Chengdu Liu Xiaoliu
Chengdu and China-ASEAN Center have signed a memorandum of cooperation to jointly support setting up Chengdu-ASEAN Center and we both will open approach to all-around pragmatic cooperation in different fields such as economy and trade, finance, tourism, humanism, and education. And this will definitely start a new journey of the friendly exchanges and cooperation between Chengdu and ASEAN countries.
Secretary-general of China-ASEAN Center Chen Dehai:
This is the first time for China-ASEAN Center to host a New Year’s Gala for ASEAN and Chinese University Students in somewhere else besides the capital, and we chose Chengdu as the place to hold it. And this year’s event has gathered many outstanding young student representatives from China and ASEAN countries. I truly hope all of you could be inheritors of the friendly exchanges, practitioners of mutual development, and the constructor of the community of common future between China and ASEAN countries.
Director of department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Ministry of Education Liujin
The Ministry of Education of China is willing to work with all parties to further focus on China-ASEAN interconnection, promote youth friendly exchanges, continuously promote mutual learning and learn from each other, and make positive contributions to the new and better development of China-ASEAN friendship.
Consul General of Thailand in Chengdu Wu Weide
Under the "The Belt and Road Initiative" policy, the cooperation between Chengdu and ASEAN countries in the fields of economies, investments, cultures, tourism and education have become increasingly closer. It is hoped that youth from China and ASEAN will uphold the tradition of friendship and deepen understanding and enhance friendship through this event.
Besides, in the event
Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee，Mayor Luoqiang
Secretary-general of China-ASEAN Center, Chen Dehai
Jointly unveil the Chengdu-ASEAN Exchange Center
This means that there will be more international festivals in the future
The evening also gathered students from Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos and China, which are 11 ASEAN countries to show their country and nation's characteristics and enhance friendship among countries. They brought us wonderful performances, such as dancing, solo singing, song performance, martial arts performance, etc.
More than this, we also interviewed the international students of the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts and learned how they felt about the party.
Eleen Ooi
Malaysia
The international students of the CCAA
She said they spent a month and a half preparing for the performance and they were very proud of the performance on behalf of their country. At the same time, it is also a great opportunity to know friends from different countries and cultures during rehearsal.
Nicole
Philippines
The international students of the CCAA
Her favorite performance is " Qiangzhai happy songs". Dancers staged baton battles. The whole performance was full of vitality, festival atmosphere and national characteristics. When we asked about her New Year's plan, she said that she would go to Mountain Xiling snow to see snow with her friends and has dinner with other international students to celebrate the New Year. She also believe that the accompany of friends is very important especially staying abroad.
Malaysia
The international students of the CCAA
He said that although he had only been in Chengdu for three months, he had been studying Chinese for eight years and could also speak Mandarin fluently. "Mostly like to eat hot and spicy food, hotpot and other Chengdu delicacies, he also been to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base to look on the panda." He said that he will stay in Chengdu and develop at here after four years of study.
This New Year's Gala is a great event for the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts. With the full devotion of the Student Union of the International Department of the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts and all the teachers and students of the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts, all of these made the 2019 New Year’s Gala for ASEAN and Chinese University Students a successful festival. Looking forward to the next feast, see you next time!
