Guests take a group photo with the actors. (Image source: The pictures in this article are provided by the organizer)
On the evening of January 27, the 2020 Cambridge Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Rat, sponsored by the Cambridge Chinese Students and Scholars Association, was held at the Corn Exchange of The Cambridge Concert Hall. Nearly 1,000 people, including Minister Counsellor Wang Yongli of the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Gerri Bird, Mayor of Cambridge, Stephen Davison and Anthony Dangerfield, representatives of Cambridge University, Zhang Zhixiang, chairman of China Jianlong Group, Wang Sheng, president of the Frontier China Youth Elite Association, Chinese professors and scholars at Cambridge University, representatives of student federations and alumni associations across the UK, and Chinese students from Cambridge, watched the performance.
Counselor Wang Yongli of the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in the UK delivered a speech.
Wang Yongli extended Chinese New Year greetings to international students and scholars in Cambridge. He pointed out that in the past year, China and the UK have made breakthroughs in the field of educational exchanges; in the coming year, China will build a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, the UK will also enter a new era of Brexit, and both countries will face new historic opportunities. Wang Yongli expressed the hope that Cambridge students will strive to learn well and continue to contribute to Sino-British exchanges and cooperation and the development and construction of the motherland. In the face of the current Wuhan pneumonia epidemic, he stressed that everyone should maintain calm, pay attention to the body, and work together as one, and the Education Department of the Embassy in the UK is a strong backing for the majority of overseas students, and will continue to provide help and services for international students and scholars.
Steven Davison, Director of the Office of International Public Cooperation at the University of Cambridge, delivered a speech.
Stephen Davison, Director of the Office of International Cooperation at the University of Cambridge, wishes all Chinese students a Happy Chinese New Year on behalf of the university. Davison pointed out that in recent years, the cooperation between the University of Cambridge and China in the fields of science and technology, innovation, education and other fields has been deepening, and in 2019, the "University of Cambridge- Nanjing Science and Technology Innovation Center" was established outside the UK for the first time. He said that Chinese students are the largest international student group at Cambridge University, and Chinese scholars continue to make important contributions in various fields, and look forward to further cooperation and exchanges between Cambridge and China in the coming year.
Cambridge Mayor Geri Bird delivered a speech.
In his speech, The Mayor of Cambridge, Gerri Bird, said that Cambridge is a city with a long history and diverse culture, and the Chinese community is an indispensable part of the city. She thanked the Chinese students and scholars for bringing more vitality and vitality to Cambridge, and sincerely wished the audience a happy Chinese New Year.
Xia Junfei, President of the Cambridge China Federation of Students.
Xia Junfei, Chairman of the Cambridge China Federation of Students, welcomed all the guests and audiences and extended his most sincere holiday wishes. Since its establishment in 1984, the Cambridge Chinese Students' Federation has always adhered to the founding purpose of serving Chinese students and scholars, and has now developed into one of the largest and most influential student societies in Cambridge University. Xia Junfei said that in recent days, the epidemic in Wuhan has always touched the hearts of overseas students, and the Cambridge China Federation of Students has acted quickly to donate the full amount of the lottery income of the Spring Festival Gala to help Wuhan in the form of donations and materials. Before the official opening of the party, the three hosts recited the original poem "In the Same Boat, Love in Kangqiao" originally written by Cambridge students, paying tribute to the medical staff and people who are struggling in the frontline with affectionate language, expressing the determination and confidence of Cambridge students to overcome difficulties with Wuhan and the motherland, which aroused strong resonance from the audience.
Original poem "In the Same Boat, Love in Kangqiao".
The theme of this evening party is "Huacai Kangqiao Night", through the innovative form of micro-film, through the innovative form of the scene, with an ancient song from the last year of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the colorful music that lasted for nearly four hours was introduced. The Cambridge University Dance Club kicked off the evening with a highly dynamic and technological hip-hop dance "A Small Bang", showing the youthful exuberance of Cambridge students. Young singer and runner-up of the 2011 Annual Finals of the "Avenue of Stars" Li Yiwa and young saxophonist Wu Jiaxu brought "Agreed Happiness" and "Blue and White Porcelain" respectively, and the sweet singing voice and moving melody created a happy and warm festive atmosphere.
Promoting traditional Chinese culture has always been one of the core themes of the Cambridge Spring Festival Gala. At this evening, the Cambridge China Federation of Students specially invited national first-class actors and famous Yue opera performance artists Mao Weitao and Xie Qunying, bringing the well-known "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" excerpt "Eighteen Sending Gifts" to the Cambridge audience. The graceful singing voice, the elegant posture of Lingxiu and the passionate romantic love made the Chinese and foreign audiences present moved and felt the infinite charm of traditional Chinese opera art. The sketch "I Want to Be a Star" created by Cambridge students tells the story of young people's love and dedication to cross-talk, and the unique dialect interpretation makes the scene laugh continuously. The Hanfu catwalk "The Long River of History" shows the inheritance, change and innovation of clothing in the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization with exquisite ornamentation and flowing hems.
Mao Weitao and Xie Qunying's "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" excerpt "Eighteen Sending".
The help of popular celebrities is one of the characteristics of the Cambridge Spring Festival Gala. Song Yuning, a popular student and well-known original singer of the third season of "China Good Songs", sang "Bailu" and "Yu Meiren" on the spot, and the innovative creations combined classical poetry and modern music, allowing the audience to feel the talent and enthusiasm of a new generation of Young Chinese musicians. Huang Guolun, a famous music singer-songwriter from Taiwan, made the final appearance, wished the Cambridge students to work hard and bravely, and sang three familiar songs such as "Taste", "I Do", and "No Impossible", which pushed the atmosphere of the scene to the climax.
The evening showed the deep integration of Chinese and Western cultures through various performance forms. Yan Jiabao, a well-known young cross-talk actor, joined hands with his Russian partner Tina to perform the original bilingual cross-talk "Cheers to China", tongue sword and lip gun, you come and go, hilarious. Wu He, a soprano singer who graduated from the Royal College of Music and is currently teaching at the Central Conservatory of Music, sang "The Great Heaven" and "Drinking Song" (excerpts from the opera "La Traviata"), which aroused the homesickness of overseas wanderers and ignited the enthusiasm of the audience. The Cambridge Oriental Dance Society has performed excerpts from "Qingping Tune", "Ode to The Sage" and "Swan Dance", showing the softness of Oriental classical dance and the romance of Western ballet for the audience. Arranged and performed by three Cambridge students, "Kangqiao Huacai" combines piano, cello and bamboo flute to show the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western rhythms in a unique way.
Cambridge Oriental Dance Club "Qing Ping Tone".