Chongqing - Chongqing’s primary and middle school students returned to campus on Sunday for registration to begin the new spring of 2023 after being absent for nearly three months. The Lantern Festival falls on the same day as the school’s first day of operation. Some schools thoughtfully planned various events to greet the students, letting them each have a memorable first day of the new semester.
Students from Peixin Primary School were writing the Chinese character “fu.” (Photo/Cui Li, Visual Chongqing)
Registration for primary and middle schools began on Sunday in Chongqing, which also happened to be the Lantern Festival, a traditional festival in China. Peixin Primary School in Jiangbei District adopted a distinctive welcoming ritual to celebrate the Lantern Festival in the Year of the Rabbit and promote the traditional Chinese culture.
Returning students posed for pictures with the “lion” outside the school entrance. (Photo/Cui Li, Visual Chongqing)
The students walked into the campus in Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnicity. They wrote the Chinese character “fu,” which means blessing or happiness, made sweet dumplings, practiced the lion dance with their teachers and classmates, and celebrated the start of the new semester while learning about traditional culture.
The children worked together to make sweet dumplings under the teacher’s guidance. (Photo/Cui Li, Visual Chongqing)
The new semester brings a unique atmosphere; many teachers have prepared creative “gift packages” to welcome students back to school to help them start a new learning life.
When arriving at the school gate, students will get the wish card for the new semester produced by the Chongqing Renmin Primary School. (Photo/Liu Yini, Visual Chongqing)
The teachers of Chongqing Renmin Primary School gave a surprise “red package” to every child entering the school. The school specially designs blessing cards for the children inside the red package. The students can write down their New Year’s resolutions or goals on the back of the card. The teachers also carefully arranged the classrooms and decorated them with elements of the Lantern Festival.
“Such a special entrance ceremony is a special first lesson for the pupils,” said Yang Langlang, the principal of Chongqing Renmin Primary School, “It is hoped that through the full sense of ritual, the children will return to campus filled with optimism for the future, and begin a joyful journey of the new semester.”
Chongqing Renmin Primary School students wrote down their goals for the new semester and presented them. (Photo/Liu Yini, Visual Chongqing)
All the Renhe Primary School teachers and students in Liangjiang New Area participated in a unique “Lantern Festival” class meeting. They guessed lantern riddles, learned some knowledge, and grasped the common sense needed for study and life when the policies for epidemic prevention and control had been optimized and adjusted.
According to Chen Lu, a teacher from Renhe Primary School, these class meetings incorporate the qualities of the Lantern Festival, enable kids to learn while having fun, and help everyone get back to their learning state to get off to a good start for the new semester.
A pupil from Chongqing Renmin Primary School showed the ballon prepared by the teacher with joy. (Photo/Liu Yini, Visual Chongqing)
Some Chongqing Yucai Secondary School students also received a carefully prepared “gift package,” which contained a garland, a balloon, a bottle of beverage, some snacks, some learning tools, and warm messages from the head teacher.
Children welcomed the new term with excitement and anticipation. (Photo/Liu Yini, Visual Chongqing)
According to the latest epidemic prevention and control requirements, teachers, students, or staff members do not need to present Covid-19 test results while entering the school. The Chongqing Municipal Education Commission advises teachers and students to concentrate on health monitoring in the first week of returning to school, advocate limiting gatherings, strengthen self-health management, report symptoms promptly, and come to school to work and study without illness to ensure the safety of students on campus.