LIFE / CULTURE
Overseas students celebrate traditional holiday
Published: Feb 07, 2021 06:13 PM
To celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, Chinese students in Belgium launched an online party on Saturday on multiple social network platforms.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming tuned in and delivered a speech while Mohamed Ridouani, mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven, sent his best wishes in a video.

As the pandemic was raging at the beginning of 2020, Chinese students in Belgium donated money and purchased medical supplies to support the domestic fight against the virus, the ambassador said in the video. 

"Since the outbreak, the students have consciously abided by the Belgian government's rules by heeding the guidance on the prevention and control of the epidemic," he added.

With the joint efforts of everyone, the infection rate of overseas students has remained low since the pandemic began, Cao said.

Led by the Leuven Student Federation and co-organized by nine other student federations, the evening party gathered Chinese students from six universities and four conservatories of music in Belgium, as well as the famous Belgian composer Jean-Francois Maljean, and some teachers and students from Ghent University.

The solo, chorus, piano and cello duet, percussion and poetry recitations performed by students were warmly welcomed by the audience.

"This evening party brought Chinese students together, gave everyone a homely feeling and atmosphere, and eased the loneliness of being away from their relatives in China," Zheng Baoguo, educational counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, said.