Chongyang Festival Celebration
27 Oct 2023
“May my grandparents live a long and happy life.”
“I’m so lucky to be your grandson, I love you forever.”
13th October 2023 was the Chongyang Festival in the Chinese lunar calendar this year. BBSG students expressed their blessings to grandparents in different formats in different activities the school organised on the day. During the morning Homeroom time, students made wormwood-scented bags with the instruction by Homeroom teachers, which later be presented as a festive gift to their grandparents.
The school community was delighted to have two grandparents of our students as guest speakers, sharing their stories of personal career development and life experiences on campus.
Mr. Li Renyi, a renowned Chinese theatrical performer and a national first-level actor who also serves as the Former Director of the Guangdong Theatre Company and the Chairman of the Children's Theatre Association Of Guangdong, amazed the audience with his interesting student life back in the old days. He excelled both in academics and personal development, and once held a student leader position. He shared how he embarked on his journey in performing arts with vintage photographs that helped record those previous times. All are valuable treasures for memories in the era with no mobile phones, cameras or internet.
The students were captivated by Mr. Li's stories and enthralled by videos of his performing workpiece.
Mr. Li shared“I have devoted my entire life to theatre performances across China, but my dream has always been to introduce our plays and arts to the audience around the world, telling the Chinese stories and promoting Chinese culture. You are a generation with unlimited potential and opportunities to share the beauty of Chinese culture around the world. Thus, it’s very important for every one of you to master both Chinese and English, to understand Chinese culture well, and to become storytellers in the future."
Mr. Li presented his calligraphy artwork to BBSG as a gift. He wrote the school motto and the ‘COMPLETE’ values with solid calligraphy strokes, brimming with expectations for the younger generation.
Another guest speaker was Mr. Li Weisheng, a veteran who served in the Air Force of the CPLA for over two decades and was rewarded Merit Citation Class III. He proudly presented his uniform and daily items used in the army while sharing his remarkable service.
Mr. Li was dedicated to aircraft equipment and technology within the Air Force. He had witnessed the development of the Chinese Air Force, a history that is beyond the imagination of the younger generation growing up in times of peace.
He introduced the responsibilities of a soldier in different times, from the early days before the founding of the PRC to the period of reform and opening up, then into the new era. He encouraged the students to appreciate the present, strive for their success, and support the country's stability and prosperity.
Both speakers elaborated on how different one’s life could be, how much one loves their career, and the efforts and hard work one has to make to achieve those. Leveraging their life experience, the older generation would inspire and encourage our students for a bright future. During the event, BBSG student representatives performed their musical talents as a blessing to their grandparents.
A book fair was also conducted for the community, featuring an extensive collection of Chinese and English books. The "Book Swap" activity, where students were encouraged to exchange their old books from home to new ones, promoted recycling actions and sustainability among the BBSG community.
The Chongyang Festival
The Chongyang Festival is also known as "Seniors' Day" in the traditional Chinese culture. Key activities to celebrate the day include hiking, enjoying the autumn landscape, wearing Zhuyu (a plant associated with the festival), visiting family relatives, appreciating chrysanthemum flowers and crafting wormwood-scented bags.
