HOMERTON COLLEGE celebrated Lunar New Year this week with a reception and formal dinner for students of Chinese and East Asian heritage from across Cambridge University.
Over 200 students and special guests gathered for the celebration, marking the start of the Year of the Dragon.
Opening the dinner in the New Dining Hall, Homerton Principal Lord Simon Woolley said: “Tonight is your evening. Tonight we pay homage to our East Asian students, to our fellows, to our supporters along this high table.
“We're here because of you. And we want you to have a wonderful evening. Let's break bread with our friends, and celebrate a wonderful Lunar New Year.”
The top table included tech CEOs, Chartered Accountants and Barristers of Chinese origin, as well as former Government minister Lord Nick Bourne and Labour’s Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Catherine West MP.
Jason Si, who is associated with Homerton’s ChangeMakers programme, spoke about the traditional scrolls which decorated the Dining Hall.
“It reads：默存宏愿，百年门风无非积德; 屯集英华，万般上品不辍读书; 好景在春. In English, it means “Nurturing grand hopes, centuries of reputation is from nothing but doing good; Gathering talents, let’s honour all trades but never stop learning”.
“And above all, literally getting the message across, it reads “Any good time is Spring”. The first Chinese words in each line are 好，默，屯, aka Homerton. 好默屯 is how I call my College, my beloved College.”
He added: “What a night for us, and what an honour for me. As we delight in the atmosphere and congratulate each other, let us once again, congratulate the team behind all this.”
Lord Woolley paid tribute to all who had worked hard to make the evening a success, including HUS, the catering and other staff, who had all done a "magnificent job."
One attendee commented afterwards: “The Lunar New Year dinner was an amazing celebration of our college's rich diversity. It's good to be keen to learn more about different cultures.
“Simon is such a role model in championing inclusivity. The food and decorations were all absolutely amazing. Thank you to all the staff and students who helped organise this - we had a great night!”
Another said: “I really like all the decorations, and especially the dishes, which are the most delicious formal [dinner] I have ever eaten. I think you made a smart move by letting a group of people sample [the food in advance], please keep it up.”
Photos: David Johnson
