« Family Fun Day » at the China Cultural Center in Brussels

On February 1, 2023, the China Cultural Center in Brussels held a Happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Family Fun Day, which attracted more than one hundred Belgian and European children and parents gathering at the Center to celebrate the coming of the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit. A rich programme of projections, exhibitions, animations, guided visits and meetings with Chinese artists combines to make the Center a house full of joy and laughter.

Children explored the Chinese New Year celebrations through a series of interactive workshops and cultural activities, such as folding paper rabbits, coloring rabbits selected from the 2023 Belgium Zodiac Design & Creative Contest, drawing red envelopes; with their families, little ones are immersing themselves in the Chinese culture.

The Family Fun Day was inaugurated by the highlights of the 2023 CMG Spring Festival Gala. The Martial Arts Performance, the modern mini-musical that employed VR technology – Little “Divine Beasts”, the folk dance – The Musical Bridge and other performances intrigued the children with their cheers and applauses. In front of the screen, little Kung Fu fans were fascinated by the valiant and heroic style of the Shaolin monks and eager for trying out, cheerfully dancing around with the performers on the screen. Following the dance of The Musical Bridge winning the hearts of both kids and parents, last but not the least, with the grand finale song – What an Unforgettable Night, they lingered over the aftertaste of the Chinese Spring Festival, sharing the family tradition, happiness, and joy with each other.

As the Center’s Happy Chinese New Year 2023 of the Rabbit programme themed around the zodiac rabbit has been greeted with enthusiasm from the local public, parents and children were also invited to participate in a series of fun, interactive and educational animations: guided visits to the on-going Exhibition of Selected Artworks of the 2023 Belgium Zodiac Design & Creative Contest, storytelling of zodiac legends, rabbit chasing games, rabbit folding & colouring workshops, red envelope making activity, etc.

Since the opening of the Happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Exhibition of Selected Artworks of the 2023 Belgium Zodiac Design & Creative Contest on January 21, the Center has welcomed a large number of public visits. On this occasion of the Family Fun Day, two Chinese artists living in Belgium, YAO Yizhi and ZHANG Wenhai were invited to join the children and help them explore Chinese zodiac culture.

Finally, the Center’s Book Bar presented a selection of special picks for children’s reading on the Chinese zodiac and New Year culture.

Ms. Julie PATTERSON, President of the Committee of the China Art Festival in the EU, mentioned in an interview: “the Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China, and I am so happy to spend the holiday time with the children here at the Center. Both my daughter and my son are very curious and excited about the Chinese New Year celebrations. They cannot wait to share the paper-fold rabbits they made today with their schoolmates as a gift for this Year of the Rabbit. I believe today’s activities will leave a sweet memory of the Spring Festival to children, and I wish all of the little ones here a happy and healthy new year.