The 2022 CEDP Spring Festival Gala draws to a close

wenqi （Amanda ）wang

On the evening of 5 February, over 200 participantsfrom the Brighton and Hove community and around the world came together to celebrate the Year of the Tiger.

The 2022 Spring Festival Gala, organised by the CEDP China Centre and filled with innovative content, was structured and hosted in an excitingformat which smoothly connected 22 distinctive performances. Bridging Chinese and British cultures, the gala was a feast of cultural exchange for Chinese people overseas, members of the local community, and students of Chinese language and culture.

To open proceedings, a representative of the British Royal Family, HM Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman, and the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, councillor Alan Robins, gave their sincere wishes for the Chinese New Year.

The Gala’s unique design was divided into three chapters: “Remembering Home”, “Welcoming the New Year” and “Chasing the Light of the Future.” The performances began with the world-famous”Song of the Mountain Hawk,” establishing”warmth” as the main theme for the evening and expressing the love and longing all travellers feel for their hometown. The highlight came when a Brighton-born British student, Adam Davis, who has taught himself Chinese for three years and studied with the CEDP, presented an original songin Mandarin, “Born for a Reason”; and the online audience all typed their praise onto the screen: “”Amazing song!” and “Perfect pronunciation!”

Full Programme:

Part 1

1. Zide Club sang “Song of the Mountain Hawk.”

2. Wu Yafei danced to “Together to the Future.”

3. Zeng Yue sang “Walking in the air.”

4. Amy Sun Yiting performed​”How to make a tiger mask.”

5. Adam Davis sang “Born for a Reason.”

6. Beacon recited “Song of Water Tunes.”

Part 2

1. Xi Feng (Chinese zither) the theme song of The Untamed, “Never Forget.”

2. Ho family children’s poem recitation “Spring”

3. Louis Li, (Ruiya Chinese School) played and sang “Congratulations” on the guitar.

4. Jia Jia Children’s song “The Snail and the Oriole.”

5. Phoebe sang “Ode to the Pear Blossom.”

6. Chen Shuaizhi Ouyang Siyu (Sussex University student) sang the song “Out.”

7. Brighton College Choir. Two songs: “Let’s Swing” and “Believer.”

Part 3

1. Piano performance: “Chasing the Moon in Colourful Clouds.”

2. Timothy performed “Listen to Me and Say Thank You.”

3. Gao Wenjun Introduction to tea culture “Tea connecting China and Britain.”

4. Peter’s family recited “Silent Moon Thoughts.”

5. Melissa recited “New Year is Spring.”

The evening attracted over two hundred online viewers, including overseas travellers, expatriates and local British residents. The festival has always been a testimony to the Chinese New Year celebrations of the nation, and watching the CEDP Gala has become the best memory of the Spring Festival in the hearts of countless people. The success of this year’s event would not have been possible without each and every one of the volunteer staff behind the scenes and every one of the organisations that supported us. Special thanks go out to our sponsors:

Brighton & Hove city council, Organ Donation, Community Fund, Sussex community foundation and the British Chamber of Commerce in Shenzhen.

We would like to invite you and your families to join us in celebrating the festive season with a repeat performance of the evening on the 2022 Lantern Festival.