University joins in Lantern Festival
The University of Auckland will have a strong presence at this year’s Lantern Festival (6-8 February) with art exhibitions, culture, music, food and banners on Princes Street.
Visitors to the lanterns, food stalls, cultural performances and entertainment in neighbouring Albert Park are welcome to come and enjoy activities on the City Campus.
Art by Chan Wan Yiu and his students at the Confucius Institute will be on display at Old Government House. The exhibition will be opened by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, on 5 February and run until 28 February.
Noted for his ability to incorporate the traditions of the great masters of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Wan Yiu has shown his works in Hong Kong and other countries for the past 40 years.
Directly across the road in the George Fraser Gallery, 25a Princes Street the painting of Gon-Jer Wang can be seen throughout the Lantern Festival. Gon-Jer, a doctoral student at Elam School of Fine Arts, is mounting an exhibition entitled “Painting and obscurity: Experiencing the poetry of Wang Wei”.
The University’s Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese language and culture, will have a booth by the Student Union Quad giving out information on its activities.
Asian food outlets will line the Quad and Asian bands will play at Shadows, the licensed bar at the Student Union, during the Lantern Festival.
Large banners celebrating the event will hang on Princes Street while the ClockTower will be lit in red each evening.
“Year by year the University has become more closely involved with the Lantern Festival,” says Professor McCutcheon. “As an institution with many Chinese students and strong connections with China we are glad to help further understanding of China at this popular public event.”
