Out of the sea rises the brilliant moon, far apart we enjoy the same moon light. Dew will become frosty white from tonight, back in our native home, the moon is bright. I watch the bright moon, as I tilt back my head. I yearn, while stooping, for my homeland more. The recitations of these classic Chinese verses with New Zealand accents were echoing in the Coppertop at the University of Canterbury, and won showers of applause; a climax occurred when Prof Li Licheng, language instructor of the CIUC, displayed his euphonious voice by singing the melancholy Chinese song The Moon Represents My Love.
These were the scenes at the poem-reading Moon Festival Celebration at the University of Canterbury on 24th September, 2010. The function was intended to display the cultural implication of the important Chinese festival to the local people on the one hand and on the other hand to offer an opportunity for the staff and students of UC to get together and exchange greetings and concerns to each other after the terrifying earthquake on 4th September.
About a hundred people attended the party. Students from the Chinese Program, the Continuous Education Department, the Global China Connection-Canterbury, and Rewi Alley Chinese School took an active part in the performance of the event. Inspired by the warm atmosphere, Prof Kon Kuiper from the Linguistic Department read to the audience his newly written poems, which are to be published in the coming edition of Landfall, showing nostalgia of his own hometown. Prof Hu Hong, Deputy Director of Confucius Institute, wrote a long poem especially for the occasion, in which she highly appreciated the beauty of Christchurch and the kindness of its people, and especially the homely feature of the city enhanced by the tremendous shake of the earthquake.
The function was also honoured by the presence of Dr Nello Angerilli, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Canterbury and Mr Wang Shenggang, First Secretary of the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy. Dr Adam Lam, Director of the Confucius Institute, expressed warm welcome to all attendees and appreciation of their constant support of the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury. People stayed a long time after the performance to catch up with each other and keep enjoying some Chinese nibble food and moon cakes.
