ACFS and WCU Celebrate the Year of the Dragon

Posted on: 2024-02-10 by Will Lehman

ACFS and WCU Celebrate the Year of the Dragon!

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, the ACFS co-sponsored a Lunar New Year event on the Western Carolina University campus to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. There were over 270 people in attendance, making this the biggest event that ACFS has ever organized! The event was emcee'd by Dr. Cristina Francescon, adjunct professor of Spanish at WCU. 

The festivities began with a dinner buffet sponsored by WCU's Department of Campus Activities and an open tables event, in which  students, faculty, staff, and community members could stop by various tables to learn about New Year practices in various countries (China, Korea, Japan), practice Asian calligraphy, learn about acupuncture, get their face painted as characters from the Beijing Opera, and taste various Chinese teas. 

The entertainment for the evening included an amazing Chinese Dulcimer performance by Ms. Xiaonan Sun of Raleigh, North Carolina, a martial arts demonstration, and a traditional Southern Lion Dance performed by students of the Dragon Phoenix school in Asheville. 

There were many sponsors of the event, including WCU's departments of World Languages, Anthropology and Sociology, the Office of Global Engagement, Campus Theme, Humanities Initiative, and Intercultural Affairs. 

Here are some highlights:

Face Painting by Joka Daly

Performance by Xiaonan Sun of the Crescent Chinese Music Studio