Temple Fair

As the Spring Festival approaches, Harrow Beijing is brimming with festivity. Red couplets adorn the walls, conveying heartfelt wishes, while celebratory lanterns decorate the corridors, and dazzling lights create a warm and vibrant atmosphere, filling the campus with the spirit of the New Year. At Harrow Beijing, we not only integrate the essence of traditional Chinese culture into our curriculum and daily teaching but also foster students’ appreciation and love for Chinese culture through significant festivals like the Spring Festival. We are committed to shaping the future generation with a global perspective, rooted in traditional Chinese culture, enabling every student to confidently express their cultural heritage in a multicultural world.

Harrow Beijing Lower School and Upper School respectively held wonderful temple fairs and Chinese cultural activities with the theme of ‘The Splendor of the Snake’s Rhyme’. At the Harrow Beijing Upper School Chinese New Year Temple Fair, children spent a joyful time with support of teachers and parents volunteers. The Temple Fair featured a wide array of traditional Chinese arts and classic games, bringing colour and excitement to the celebrations. Student leaders and parents set up a range of themed stalls, including traditional foods and exhibitions of Intangible Cultural Heritage, allowing students to immerse themselves in the rich charm of New Year traditions and craftsmanship. Additionally, the school organised a series of cultural activities, such as traditional board games, dumpling-making workshops, and traditional crafts. These activities provided students with an engaging way to deepen their understanding of Chinese traditions while enjoying the festivity. 

Harrow Beijing Lower School, basing on the Chinese cultural curriculum system, organized a Spring Festival temple fair. This temple fair serves as a vivid extracurricular expansion of the Chinese cultural curriculum. Each and every activity is intricately connected to the daily teaching content, with the intention of enabling children to further savor the profoundness of traditional Chinese culture amidst a joyous ambiance.

At the temple fair, tradition and modernity are artfully interwoven. Every activity is imbued with profound cultural connotations and educational values, resembling living examples of the Chinese cultural curriculum. In the area dedicated to writing the Chinese character ‘Fu’ (symbolizing good fortune) in calligraphy and creating blow – ink plum blossom paintings, children gave full play to the calligraphy and guohua (traditional Chinese painting) knowledge they had acquired in class. They let the essence of traditional culture pour onto the paper, thus further experiencing the beauty of Chinese characters and the allure of guohua. In the zones for touhu (a traditional Chinese throwing game) and coin – tossing games, children translated their understanding of the wisdom of the ancients and traditional sports, learned from the Chinese cultural curriculum, into hands – on experiences. They deeply grasped the sagacity and refinement of the ancients. In the print-making rubbing art area, children, leveraging the skills learned in class, delved into the mysteries of art through hands-on operations, rejuvenating traditional techniques with their deft hands.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the ‘Friends of Harrow’ and all parents for their support and participation. It is through the close collaboration between home and school that such a meaningful and unforgettable cultural experience was created for our students.

Dragon and Lion dances are a highlight of Harrow Beijing’s annual Spring Festival celebration, embodying the House spirit. On a bright winter’s day, students and staff from both the Lower School and Upper Schools gathered on the field to enjoy the spectacular performances by Dragon and Lion dance teams from the 6 Houses, along with their coaches. These performances not only carried forward the traditional customs of the New Year and created a festive atmosphere but also strengthened the bonds between House members, demonstrating Harrow’s core value of fellowship. Through such activities, students not only experienced the beauty of traditional culture but also gained a deeper understanding of collaboration in practice. We believe these precious experiences will leave a lasting impression on their journey of growth.

As we bid farewell to the year of the Dragon and welcome the year of the Snake, we extend our sincerest gratitude and warmest New Year wishes to all our families. With the arrival of the Year of the Snake, we wish you and your families happiness, harmony, and prosperity in the year ahead. May you enjoy the Spring Festival and a blessed, peaceful year of the Snake!