Kathmandu welcomed the Year of the Dragon with a jubilant afternoon of performances, cuisine, and community at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Hall — the Academy’s annual Lunar New Year celebration drawing families, students, and diplomats into a shared space of festive warmth.
Performances and Cultural Showcases
The programme opened with a traditional lion dance by the Kathmandu Chinese Cultural Troupe, their silk-clad figures leaping across the stage to thundering drums. Nepali classical dancers followed with a Charya Nritya performance, drawing quiet parallels between devotional dance traditions. The juxtaposition was deliberate — a reminder that both cultures share deep roots in ritual movement and spiritual expression.
Children from the Confucius Classroom at Sagarmatha Secondary School presented a choral recital of Tang Dynasty poetry in Mandarin, earning sustained applause. A wushu demonstration by visiting martial artists from Henan Province capped the performance schedule, their precision and discipline leaving the audience breathless.
Food, Craft, and Community
Twenty-two food stalls lined the hall’s perimeter, offering everything from hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan dumplings to Nepali momo and sel roti — a culinary dialogue that mirrored the event’s broader mission. Craft stations invited visitors to try paper cutting, Chinese knot tying, and red envelope calligraphy, while a photo booth with zodiac-themed props drew long, cheerful queues.
When we share food and music, borders dissolve. This celebration is not about one country’s festival — it is about our shared capacity for joy.
Ram Shrestha, President, Nepal China Academy
Over three thousand attendees passed through the doors across the five-hour event, making it the largest Lunar New Year gathering organized by the Academy to date. Planning is already underway for the 2025 celebration, with expanded programming including a Nepali-Chinese fusion cooking contest and a student essay competition on the theme of cultural bridges.