As spring arrives and a new journey begins, warmth gathers students on campus. On the afternoon of February 4, the first solar term of the year known as Lichun (the Beginning of Spring), the Jiangxin Lecture Hall was decorated with festive lanterns and filled with warmth. The "Welcoming the Spring with Steeds on a New Journey, Chasing Dreams at NJUIT to Celebrate the New Year" Spring Festival celebration for international students opened to great excitement. Wei Ping, Member of the Party Committee Standing Committee and Vice President of the university; Lü Fengping, Director of Wu Guannan Art Museum and Senior Arts and Crafts Artist; Xu Cheng and Zhu Jianhua, renowned calligraphers from the Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Academy; Zhang Haining, Secretary of the Party Branch and Dean of the International Education College and LSBU-NJUIT Joint Institute; Zhang Li, Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch and Deputy Dean; Sun Shijuan, Deputy Dean; and all faculty members joined the international students remaining on campus to celebrate the Spring Festival. Together, they immersed themselves in the unique charm of traditional Chinese festivals and the deep bonds of cross-cultural exchange amid laughter and joy.
The event was co-hosted by Ainayeva from Kazakhstan and Musa from Nigeria. The opening segment featured a dazzling array of highlights. A student from South Africa performed an energetic traditional dance, with vibrant rhythms and powerful movements showcasing exotic charm that complemented the festive Spring Festival atmosphere, drawing rounds of applause from the audience. Following this, Siyayou from Sri Lanka sang the Chinese song "Xiao Mei Man" (Little Contentment), her clear and melodious voice paired with precise pronunciation bringing out the warmth and beauty of the song. Additionally, eight students from Morocco, Ethiopia, Russia, and other countries took the stage together to perform the classic Spring Festival song "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Wishing You Prosperity). The cheerful and festive melody, filled with blessings, instantly pushed the holiday atmosphere to its peak, with teachers and students joining in the singing, and applause and cheers rising one after another. The dance and two songs complemented each other, displaying diverse cultural splendor while conveying the sincere joy of students from various countries celebrating the New Year together.
During the event, Wei Ping delivered a Spring Festival address. On behalf of the university, she extended sincere holiday greetings and best wishes for the New Year to all international students. She particularly reminded students to arrange their vacation lives properly, to stay mindful of safety while enjoying the festive atmosphere, paying attention to electrical safety in dormitories, transportation, and personal belongings, so as to spend a safe and peaceful holiday. She encouraged students to take the New Year as a fresh starting point, to achieve academic success and pursue their dreams in the coming year, to deeply experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture, and to leave warm and precious memories at NJUIT.
In the core segment of the event, Lü Fengping, Xu Cheng, and Zhu Jianhua guided international students in writing Spring Festival couplets and creating "Fu" characters. Holding brushes in hand, the students carefully copied characters on red paper, each stroke filled with hopes for the New Year. The dumpling-making and lantern-painting sessions were even more lively, with students learning techniques from teachers, creatively wrapping dumplings in various shapes and painting colorful lanterns. Through hands-on practice, they experienced the Chinese New Year flavor of "reunion and fulfillment." Ongoing lucky draws throughout the event kept bringing surprises to the audience.
As the event drew to a close, all teachers and students gathered for a group photo, capturing this warm and joyful moment of reunion. Everyone sat together, tasting the dumplings they had made themselves and sweet rice balls symbolizing sweetness and happiness, while sharing their visions for the New Year.
This "Welcoming the Spring with Steeds on a New Journey, Chasing Dreams at NJUIT to Celebrate the New Year" Spring Festival celebration allowed international students to immerse themselves in traditional Chinese New Year customs such as writing couplets and making dumplings, feeling the warmth of home and the joy of the festival. It also reinforced holiday safety awareness through safety reminders, while building a bridge for Chinese and international cultural exchange. Going forward, the International Education College will continue to deepen international education, enrich cultural exchange activities, and improve safety support services, helping international students grow safely and achieve academic success in China, and allowing Chinese culture to shine more brilliantly in cross-cultural exchange.
春临大地启新程，情暖校园聚学子。2 月 4 日下午，正值二十四节气之首的立春，匠心讲堂张灯结彩、暖意融融，“春迎骏马踏新程，逐梦南工贺新春” 来华留学生迎新春联欢活动在此热闹启幕。学校党委常委、副校长魏萍，吴冠南艺术馆馆长、正高级工艺美术师吕锋平，江苏省侨联华侨书画院书法名家徐澄、朱建华，国际教育学院、伦敦南岸学院直属党支部书记、院长张海宁，副书记、副院长张莉，副院长孙世娟及全体教师，与留校留学生们共庆新春佳节，在欢声笑语中沉浸式感受中国传统节日的独特魅力与跨文化交流的深厚情谊。
本次活动由来自哈萨克斯坦的安奈娃和尼日利亚的木萨联袂主持。开场环节亮点纷呈。南非学生带来热情奔放的传统舞蹈，欢快节奏与有力舞姿尽显异域风情，与新春喜庆氛围相得益彰，引发全场掌声阵阵。紧随其后，斯里兰卡学子斯雅尤献唱中文歌曲《小美满》，清澈婉转的嗓音搭配字正腔圆的发音，将歌曲温情美好诠释得淋漓尽致，另有来自摩洛哥、埃塞俄比亚、俄罗斯等多国8名同学携手登台，唱响经典新春歌曲《恭喜发财》，欢快喜庆的旋律、饱含祝福的歌词，瞬间将现场的节日氛围推向高潮，台下师生纷纷跟着哼唱，掌声与喝彩声此起彼伏。一舞两曲相映成趣，既展现了多元文化风采，更传递出各国学子共庆新春的真挚喜悦。
活动上，魏萍发表新春致辞。她代表学校向全体来华留学生致以诚挚的节日问候和美好的新春祝福。她特别叮嘱同学们，要合理安排假期生活，在感受节日氛围的同时，也要时刻绷紧安全之弦，注意宿舍用电、出行交通、财物保管等方面的安全，度过一个平安祥和的假期。她鼓励同学们以新春为新起点，在新的一年里学有所成、逐梦前行，深度感受中国传统文化魅力，在南工留下温暖而珍贵的回忆。
活动核心环节中，吕锋平、徐澄、朱建华指导留学生写春联、送福字。留学生们手持毛笔，在红纸上认真临摹，一笔一划间饱含对新春的期盼。包饺子、画灯笼环节更是热闹非凡，留学生们跟着老师学习技巧，创意十足地包出形态各异的饺子，绘制出色彩斑斓的灯笼，在动手实践中体会 “团圆美满” 的中国年味，活动期间抽奖活动的持续开展让现场惊喜不断。
活动尾声，全体师生合影留念，定格下这一温馨团圆的美好瞬间。大家围坐在一起，品尝着自己亲手包的饺子和寓意甜甜蜜蜜的汤圆，畅谈新春愿景。
此次 “春迎骏马踏新程，逐梦南工贺新春” 迎新春联欢活动，既让来华留学生们沉浸式体验了写春联、包饺子等中国传统年俗，感受到了家的温暖与节日的喜悦，也通过安全提醒筑牢了假期安全防线，更搭建了中外文化交流的桥梁。未来，国际教育学院将继续深耕国际化教育，丰富文化交流活动，完善安全保障服务，助力留学生们在华平安成长、学有所成，让中华文化在跨文化交流中绽放更绚丽的光彩。
