Photos: UH Hilo’s Chinese Spring Festival, Chun Jie Yu Kuai!

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Everyone had a lot of fun with Chinese zodiac signs, handicrafts, painting, brush writing, lion and dragon dancing, flute and singing performances, group and solo fan dances, a photo corner and more.

Four students dressed in traditional Chinese costumes.
This year’s Chinese New Year’s Celebration included a photo corner with a wardrobe of traditional Chinese dresses and accessories. (Photo credit: UH Hilo Chinese Studies program)

By Susan Enright.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Beautiful woman dancing in flowing blue and pink dress with umbrella held high overhead.
Umbrella dance is performed.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo held a Chinese New Year Celebration on Feb. 8, 2024, on Mookini Library’s lanai.

The annual Chinese Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) celebration is sponsored by the Chinese Studies program, headed by Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Jiren Feng with assistance from students in Chinese language courses (CHNS 101, CHNS 102), and the certificate in Chinese studies program. It was free and open to the campus and local community.

Everyone had a lot of fun at the tables creating Chinese zodiac signs, handicrafts, ink painting, brush writing, calligraphy, papercraft, spring couplets, a popular table offering to have names written in Chinese. Performances included lion dance, dragon dance, flute solo, group and solo fan dances, umbrella dance, ribbon-fan dance, and singing. There were also mahjong games, and a photo corner with a wardrobe of traditional Chinese dresses and accessories.

(Photo credit for all photos: UH Hilo Chinese Studies program. Click photos to enlarge.)

Library lanai with tables for the event, colorful red decorations, and a man performing a ribbon dance to the left of the frame.
A student tries the dragon banner dance (left). Community member Pastor Ma is at right introducing herself before she performs ribbon dance. Tables were set up for a variety of activities and information.
Large group of people gather for photo, chancellor at the center. Decorations for Chinese New Year Celebration are in the background.
Chancellor Bonnie Irwin (center) joins the group for a photo at the Chinese New Year Celebration, Feb. 8, 2024, on Mookini Library’s lanai. (Photo credit: UH Hilo Chinese Studies program)
Man out in front of the stage, holds a mic while reading from notes. The background is the celebration venue with red decorations everywhere.
Distance Learning Coordinator Robert Chi reads his poetry. Faculty advisor for the event, Jiren Feng, stands at right.

Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.

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