Student Corner

MPU International Students Experience Chinese New Year Traditions

The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) symbolises unity, prosperity and the embrace of new hopes. During this significant traditional Chinese holiday, the Student Affairs Office of Macao Polytechnic University organised the CNY Event to celebrate the Year of the Snake 2025 and showcase the over 4,000-year-old heritage of the Chinese Spring Festival to international students. Students from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste were invited to experience the festive customs of the Lunar New Year and immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the celebrations.

MPU International students enthusiastically participated in the Spring Festival activities. They used calligraphy brushes to write New Year blessings on red paper, tried their hand at weaving Chinese knot lucky bracelets, and crafted traditional Spring Festival decorations. They also learned auspicious Chinese New Year greetings, filling the atmosphere with joy and excitement. Rita, a student from Portugal, had no prior knowledge of Chinese, and her first attempt at writing Fai Chun (Spring Festival Couplets) was a delightful experience. She was captivated by the elegance of Chinese characters, which sparked her desire to learn the language. Meanwhile, Matheus, a Brazilian student with a profound admiration for Chinese culture, had already adopted a Chinese name before enrolling at the university. He enthusiastically wrote his Chinese name on the Fai Chun, using it as a unique way to introduce himself to his Chinese classmates.

The Student Affairs Office of MPU hosts Spring Festival activities every year, offering students from various countries the opportunity to delve into the rich history of Chinese festivals, immerse themselves in vibrant Spring Festival traditions, and experience the distinctive charm of Chinese culture.