Students bring Chinese Spring Festival to Harvard

Members of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lion Dance Team open the festivities at the Harvard Chinese Spring Fest on Thursday. The event, which was organized by the Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association, brought together students, faculty and members of the local community to help kick off the start of the Spring Festival celebration.

Over 100 students, professors and members of the greater Boston area joined the Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association (HCSSA) at the first ever Harvard University Chinese Spring Fest on Thursday.

Organized by the HCSSA, the event featured a taichi demonstration, festive games and a traditional Chinese Lion Dance - courtesy of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lion Dance Team.

Kecheng Li, the president of the HCSSA, said the opportunity to bring together the Harvard student body and members of the local community to celebrate the start of the Spring Festival and the Chinese New Year "was the most meaningful thing" about the event.

"An event like this gives the whole Harvard community a chance to get to learn about the culture of the Chinese Spring Festival," Li told China Daily. "We've gotten the Harvard and local communities together for this celebration but this is the first time we've celebrated in a public place - it's a special moment."

Lealia Xiong, a junior at MIT and a member of the school's Lion Dance troupe, said the outdoor setting really boosted the event's appeal.

"People really got a kick out of it," Xiong said in an interview with China Daily. "What I really liked about this performance was that anyone walking up could join in and become part of the audience. Chinese New Year is about being with family and friends, so it felt really nice to do something that reminded people of that."

Li said the event allows the HCSSA to branch out and help "serve local communities."

"We want our association to be a network to share values," Li said. "Through all of these events, people get to know one another, understand each other and find resources. We need to continue to host it in the future."

jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com