In honor of the Lunar New Year, Lamberton Hall was filled Saturday night with music, dance food and interactive games during a dinner celebration hosted by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association.
More than 10 tables, each seating nine participants each, were arranged across the hall. The menu featured pork ribs, egg fried rice, spring rolls, beef chow mein and tomato-braised beef.
The evening opened with a performance by Lehigh’s Lion Dance Club. Members performed in a traditional wǔ shī costume resembling a mythical lion, moving to the steady rhythm of drums, cymbals and gongs.
The dancers stomped and rocked side to side, lifting the lion’s head and body in synchronized motions. Nearly fully concealed beneath the costume, the performers formed a vertical line to create the illusion of a single, cohesive lion weaving through the space.
The routine drew thunderous applause.
Additional activities included country flag trivia, a Chinese song lyric guessing game and a raffle. Winners received cash prizes in red envelopes, modeled after traditional Lunar New Year cards.
Annie Li, ‘26, the president of the association, said the games were inspired by trends currently popular on Chinese social media. She said the club aimed to encourage people to engage with and learn about contemporary Asian culture.
Despite the event’s 6 p.m. start time, Li and other members arrived about three hours early to set up. Throughout the dinner, they hosted activities and engaged with guests.
Li said the organization prioritizes helping first-year Chinese students adjust to life at Lehigh by offering opportunities to bond over food and cultural traditions.
“This holiday is a holiday of reunion gathering, and what we’re doing today is a tradition,” Li said. “During this time, families and friends usually gather and eat together, just spending a good time with each other.”
Nelson Igbinigun, ‘29, said he attended in support of friends performing in the Lehigh’s Lion Dance Club.
He said the lion dance felt immersive because he interacted directly with the audience members while dancing through the crowd. Although he has limited experience with similar performances — the last being in middle school — Igbinigun said he found the opportunity captivating.
“I’m just hoping to get out of my comfort zone, that’s my main goal: to learn more about rehearsing,” Igbinigun said.
Jinhao Zhang, ‘26, a frequent attendee of association events, said he helped earlier in the day by setting up tables and chairs. He said he considers Lunar New Year the most important festival of the year.
“When I was a kid back in my homeland, we were always excited about (Lunar New Year) because everyone was home, all my friends were home, and everyone was together,” Zhang said. “We (would) just sit down, play some Mahjong, watch shows, and it’s perfect.”
While he said the campus celebration didn’t fully replicate his experiences at home, Zhang said he still enjoyed playing games and spending time with friends. He also said the lion dance particularly impressed him because many of the performers weren’t Chinese.
“The most impressive thing is they were not Chinese, right?” Zhang said. “It’s pretty shocking that Americans and people from other cultures are interested in Chinese culture like the lion dance.”