The University of Kentucky campus community is invited to ring in the Chinese New Year with the Chinese Studies Program in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, welcome the Year of the Rat by creating Chinese character bookmarks. The event will be held from 9 a.m.-noon at the 2nd floor entrance to the Gatton Student Center.
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, attend a festive Chinese dinner while watching "Dying to Survive." The 2018 Chinese comedy-drama is based on the real-life story of Lu Yong — a Chinese leukemia patient who smuggled cheap, unproven cancer medicine from India for 1,000 Chinese cancer sufferers in 2004.
The movie event, co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute and the International Village, will begin promptly at 6 p.m. in the Gatton Student Center Worsham Cinema.
"As millions of people all over the world are looking forward to embracing the Lunar New Year of 2020, the UK Chinese Studies Program cordially invites everyone here on campus to celebrate the joyful festival together," said Wei Jiang, senior lecturer in the Chinese Study Program. "The Lunar New Year 2020 is year of the Rat. Its pronunciation 'shǔ' brings you the best wish of 'being No.1.' Let's make this new year a perfect No.1."
Each year, one of the 12 zodiac animals represents the Chinese New Year. In the terms of yin and yang, the rat is yang and represents the beginning of a new day. In Chinese culture, rats are also seen as a sign of wealth and surplus.
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