爆走黑料

On February 12, students and teachers at the RAU Chinese Language and Culture Center gathered to celebrate the Lantern Festival, known in Chinese as Yuanxiao Jie (元宵节).

 

This festival, which falls on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, is a time when streets across China come alive with glowing lanterns of all shapes and sizes, while the rhythmic sounds of gongs and drums accompany dazzling dragon and lion dances. The aroma of warm yuanxiao dumplings fills homes, bringing families together in joyful reunion.

 

The lecturers at RAU Chinese Language and Culture Center shared the history and traditions of the Lantern Festival. They demonstrated how to make traditional Chinese lanterns and guided participants in writing wishes,  believed to come true when released with the lanterns. Wang Laoshi, explained that the Lantern Festival marks the grand finale of the Chinese New Year festivities: “Families prepare lavish sweet spreads, with the highlight being ‘yuanxiao’ — glutinous rice dumplings with various fillings. The name comes from ‘yuan’ (full) and ‘xiao’ (night), as the first full moon of the new year emerges that evening. It’s believed that eating yuanxiao together brings happiness and harmony to the family. Hundreds of lanterns floating into the sky are said to guide good spirits back to heaven.”

 

Head of the Center, Naira Grigoryan, emphasized the festival’s deep cultural significance, noting that it reflects the Chinese tradition of honoring ancestors and cherishing family values.

 

The staff at RAU Chinese Language and Culture Center is composed of  Chinese and Armenian experts who have received specialized training in China. The Center offers classes twice a week, each lasting an hour and a half, as well as preparatory courses for the HSK and HSKK exams. More information is available on the Center’s website. 

 

 

 

Translated by Diana Adamyan,    
I year Master’s Student in Translation & Interpretation, RAU