你好 Nǐ hăo!

We’re now less than two weeks away from the 2025 celebration of New Zealand Chinese Language Week! 

From 31 August - 6 September, New Zealand Chinese Language Week is celebrating Chinese language learning and culture around the country. Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant culture with a huge range of community events, activities, and film screenings taking place all throughout the week.

How do you plan to celebrate? Let us give you some ideas . . . 

Celebrate New Zealand Chinese Language Week by attending a community event near you! There's something for everyone, with a range of events happening nationwide throughout the week. From calligraphy to traditional dances, tea drinking, flower arranging, performances, flash mobs, art displays, discussions and more, we welcome all kinds of community-led events that celebrate Chinese language and culture.  

Want to register an event? Head to our website to register it and let us know what you have planned!  

Events Near You!

Wellington 

• Wellington Mahjong & Chinese Chess Club - Mahjong & More. 

• Yafeng Chinese Culture Group - Hosting several events, including Zodiac Paper-cutting, Chinese Bookmark Calligraphy, ‘Chinese Wellingtonians: From Sojourners to Settlers’ by Professor Bo Zhiyue, and a Poetry Walk.

• Wellington Chinese Language School – Dance flash Mob.

Auckland  

• The Pinnacle Education Trust - Shine with Your Words” Chinese Writing Competition for Students. 

• Epsom Community Library - Join Language Monkey for a bilingual (Cantonese and English) storytime with classic rhymes and games!

Marlborough 

• Marlborough Chinese Community - Hands-on workshops in calligraphy and tea art, traditional medicine diagnostics, cultural displays, and live performance. 

Nelson

• Nelson Public Libraries - Try your hand at elegant calligraphy, create intricate paper cuttings, and enjoy the calming ritual of Chinese tea-tasting. All ages welcome—no experience needed! 

Palmerston North 

• Palmerston North Chinese School – Showcase of performances including Chinese singing, folk dancing, poetry recitations, and traditional Chinese art performances. 

• Palmerston North Central Library - Student Work Exhibition. 

Tauranga 

• Tauranga Intermediate School - Chinese Language Week Competition for Schools 2025. 

• Tauranga City Libraries - Chinese Calligraphy taster, Introduction to Chinese Flower Arranging, Guzheng (Chinese Zither) Performance, Chinese Tea Tasting with Folk Dance, ‘Iti Pounamu’ Chinese Language Week Celebration. 

Fun Chinese Writing Competition

Pinnacle Education Trust is hosting a Fun Chinese Writing Competition open to students from year 3 to year 13, divided into three categories: Junior, Intermediate, and Advanced. This year’s theme, “Write Out Your Brilliance”, aims to encourage students to showcase their creativity and cultural expression while discovering the joy of writing in Chinese.

For more information on how to enter, click the button below.

Chinese Film Screenings

We are delighted to bring screenings of the Chinese language film Her Story to cinemas in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, thanks to assistance from the Ethnic Communities Development Fund of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities.

As a strong representation of female voices in Chinese cinema, Her Story is both an emotionally resonant and socially conscious movie directed by acclaimed female filmmaker Shao Yihui.

These are selling out fast, so claim your free ticket now!

Screening dates and locations

• Wellington – Penthouse Cinema [LIMITED AVAILABILITY]

  5 September | 5.45pm arrival, 6.00pm film start

  Cinema 1

  
  

• Dunedin – Rialto Cinema

  6 September | 7.30pm arrival, 7.45pm film start

  Cinema 1

  
  

• Auckland – HOYTS, Sylvia Park [SOLD OUT]

  6 September | 6.00pm arrival, 6.30pm film start

  Cinema 5

  
  

• Christchurch – HOYTS, Northlands (6 Sept)

  6 September | 6.00pm arrival, 6.30pm film start

  Cinema 3

Announcing Our 2025 Youth Ambassadors!

We’re excited to announce our 7 Youth Ambassadors for New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2025! These are high school students who have demonstrated exceptional skills in learning and speaking Chinese, and have been acknowledged for their performance in the New Zealand Chinese Bridge Speech Competition.  

At a time when there are fewer and fewer languages being taught at schools and universities, it’s great to have encouragement to give Chinese language learning a go. 

Chinese Language Superstars!

Earlier this month, we announced our 2025 Chinese Language Superstars. These superstars have all undergone unique Chinese language-learning journeys – you can find out more on our website.

Available Now!

Orders are coming in rapidly for our trilingual children’s picture book Birdsong/He Korihi/鸟儿的歌 . This charming 1-10 counting book by Maris O’Rourke, illustrated by Claudia Pond Eyley, and translated by Stephanie Huriana Fong has been distributed free of charge to schools and libraries across NZ.   

You can order your own copy through our website - Don’t miss out!

Host a Book Reading

During the week, communities, schools, and organisations across Aotearoa are encouraged to host book readings to share in the celebrations through storytelling. It’s a simple but powerful way to engage tamariki and whānau in the spirit of the week, and we’d love for you to be part of it.

If you’d like to host a reading during New Zealand Chinese Language Week, click the button below to learn how to get involved. We provide everything you need, including a free copy of the book and printable resources!

Alternatively, to find out if one is being hosted in your local area, check our upcoming newsletters, or head to the events page on our website.

New Zealand Chinese Song Contest

The New Zealand Chinese Song Contest 2025 was held earlier this month with Lucy Singleton from Rangitoto College selected as the winner. Organised by the Confucius Institute of Victoria University of Wellington, the contest aims to inspire greater interest amongst students in Chinese language and culture through the art of singing.

We are excited to have Lucy perform at the Opening Ceremony on the 1st of September at Parliament.

For those who aren’t able to join us on the day, check out Lucy’s talents here, with a video of her winning entry.

Take part in our Dumpling celebrations!

Everyone loves a good dumpling, and National Dumpling Day (26 September) is your chance to celebrate creativity, culture, and connection through food. Whether you’re a restaurant, food lover, school, or business, Dumpling Week (19–28 September) offers something for everyone.

🍽 RestaurantsJoin our Design-A-Dumpling Competition by creating a one-off dumpling special to serve during Dumpling Week. We’ll promote your dish, and diners will vote for their favourites. The winning restaurant receives a monetary prize and national media exposure! Register your restaurant here.

🥢 Food LoversTaste your way around Aotearoa by trying the limited-edition dumplings on offer! Vote for your favourites and go in the draw to win prizes — from the north to the south, there’s a dumpling adventure waiting. You can also nominate your favourite restaurants to take part.

🏠 Families, Schools and WorkplacesCelebrate Dumpling Day your own way — host a dumpling tasting, run a dumpling-making session, decorate your classroom or office, the options are endless. We’d love to see how you get involved!

Don’t forget to share your celebration by tagging #DumplingDay2025, and keep an eye on our website to see participating restaurants and related events near you.