CANBERRA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- When the Lantern Festival is approaching, some Chinese students in the Australian capital Canberra celebrated with dances and performances of traditional musical instruments.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they were not able to get together. Instead, they launched the online gala so that more students could watch.
"The lingering pandemic has prevented students here from going back to China. We planned for this online gala so that they had something to do, not feeling lonely on such a festive occasion," said Li Meng, founder of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Overseas Chinese Students Care Center Inc., the organizer of the event.
In the 40-minute video clip, students not only sang and danced, but also recited classic Chinese poems and filmed a show wearing traditional consumes.
One of the highlights was a concert of music from the TV drama Dream of the Red Chamber. Eight students dressed as characters in the story played different traditional musical instruments.
The Lantern Festival, on Tuesday, coincides with the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. The Chinese embassy in Australia has provided gifts for 10 audiences, who will be selected randomly from those who left comments.
"The ACT Overseas Chinese Students Care Center last year organized a range of events, promoting Chinese culture while demonstrating the spirit of our young people," said Song Yanqun, minister-counselor for culture at the embassy, in the video, who also wished the students "happy Chinese New Year."
According to the 59-year-old Li Meng, the inspiration for founding such a center came from her son, who arrived in Australia 15 years ago as a middle school student.
The man later became a college teacher and met many overseas students, some of whom were Chinese.
"He told me that he felt sorry for those overseas students, who were so young but away from their families," Li said in an interview with Xinhua. "'Mom, do you remember how hard I was,' he asked me."
The center was registered three years ago and founded last year.
"There are many overseas students who couldn't travel back to China during the pandemic. Thus I would like to provide a place where they could get together, meeting new friends while doing activities with their own culture," she said.
There were regular lectures, usually about how to stay healthy and prevent coronavirus infection. They also set up a traditional costume society. The center attracts more than 100 students so far, according to Li.
Zhan Ziying is a student from the Australian National University, who became a member of the center following the introduction by a friend.
"I love the traditional costumes," she said. "At the center, I enjoy performing with other people. The center broadened my horizon, where we feel less lonely."
"During the pandemic, the center offers us a shelter, where we feel at home," said Liu Yize from the University of Canberra. "The lectures are helpful, and the speakers, who are consultants of the center, could help us resolve real problems."
"It is my wish that more students could come to the center and pass on love," he said. ■
