---

   

---

 

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Cheng Shiu University’s Office of International Affairs hosted a festive "Good Fortune Dragons Arrive" event for international students staying in Taiwan over the winter break. Through activities like calligraphy, tossing traditional divination blocks (bwa bwei), interpreting oracle poems, and enjoying New Year’s dishes paired with auspicious sayings, the students were able to soak in the vibrant holiday spirit and ease their homesickness. President Gong Rui-Zhang explained that the event helped international students better understand Taiwanese New Year customs while experiencing the lively festive atmosphere.

This year, many students from Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Hong Kong were unable to return home to reunite with their families. To ease their homesickness, and with the Year of the Dragon in mind, Cheng Shiu University organized the culturally immersive "Good Fortune Dragons Arrive" event.

The university’s activity center was bustling from early morning, with more than 120 students from countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia coming together to experience Taiwan’s New Year traditions. They tried their hand at tossing divination blocks, practicing calligraphy, interpreting oracle poems, and savoring traditional New Year’s dishes with auspicious phrases, fully embracing the festive mood.

President Gong Rui-Zhang was warmly welcomed by the students upon his arrival, with the university’s affiliated kindergarten’s lion dance team leading the way. The students cheered "Congratulations, Congratulations, Happy New Year!" and sang the festive song, “Every street and alley, the first words on everyone’s lips are congratulations,” filling the hall with lively New Year cheer.

In the divination block competition, President Gong kicked things off by tossing a "sacred cup" on his first try, symbolizing a prosperous year ahead for the university and drawing applause for the auspicious sign. Six students made it to the final round, with first-year industrial engineering student Huang Mei-Li from Indonesia emerging as the champion by tossing two consecutive "sacred cups."

Huang Mei-Li, overjoyed with her victory, shared, "Tossing the divination blocks was so much fun, and I never imagined I would win first place—it’s truly exciting!"

During the event, President Gong also awarded completion certificates to 12 Indonesian students who participated in the Indonesian International Mobility Program, recognizing their academic achievements.

 

 

---