Jointly reported by:
Sr2ScB Goh Jian Mayne
Sr2ScB Yee Sue Wei
Sr2ComB Ho Chia Chien

During the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, we had the pleasure of interviewing the Assistant Admin Head of the Co-curricular Department, Madam Ng Li San, about the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Treasure Hunt held as part of the festive celebrations on February 3, 2024.

    1. How long did the preparation take?

      Were there any particular memorable moments during the preparation stage?

      The 2024 Kuen Cheng High School Lunar New Year Temple Fair was organised over approximately one month. Following the confirmation of the fair’s date, both the Administrative Heads, Madam Hee Siaw Fuey, and Ms Lim Bee Hsiang convened the first general meeting in December 2023. Subsequently, each activity group meticulously planned and prepared for the fair in an orderly manner. I was mainly responsible for two activities: the ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Culture Exhibition’ and the ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Treasure Hunt.’ I convened separate planning committees for each of these activities. The ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Culture Exhibition’ was managed by the Handicraft Club, Western Calligraphy Society, and Art Club, while the ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Treasure Hunt’ was overseen by the Cartoons Club.Throughout the preparation process, everyone showed great enthusiasm and respect for teachers’ and committee members’ opinions. The exhibition went smoothly from planning to implementation, with everyone cooperating happily.

    2. Were there any obstacles that the team faced, and how did they overcome them?

      The ‘Twelve Zodiac Culture Exhibition’ at this year’s Lunar New Year Temple Fair aims to showcase the theme ‘The Dragon Soars, Kuen Cheng Celebrates the Prosperous Year,’ emphasising the dragon and the other 11 zodiacs. Teachers focused on traditional cultural forms such as red-paper cutting and lanterns, incorporating historical materials and photographs related to the zodiac signs.Tasks were assigned for preparation, with the Western Calligraphy Society and Handicraft Club collaborating on paper-cut lanterns, including a 13-foot-long dragon. The Art Club was responsible for the historical materials and photography exhibition. Despite the limited time, both committees completed their tasks with praise for their dedication and creativity.The Handicraft Club and Western Calligraphy Society encountered challenges while creating the 13-foot-long dragon, using recycled cardboard boxes and exhaust pipes for its body. Meanwhile, the Art Club sculpted lifelike clay models of the zodiac signs. All groups demonstrated exceptional creativity and craftsmanship, working diligently after school for about two weeks to complete the project. Teachers accompanied them, witnessing their artistic creations, which was deeply moving.


Photo of Committees, Teachers and the Dragon

  1. What are your hopes for the participants’ takeaways from the event experience?

    The committee put in immense effort to create zodiac art pieces, informative historical galleries, and photography props, flawlessly showcasing their creations on the celebration day. I believe the committee was brimming with strong feelings of contentment and pride, having created these masterpieces from scratch and giving it their all. Inter-club collaboration was also a great experience for the team to learn from each other as they worked together.

  2. How did you promote and attract participants to the event?

    The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Kuen Cheng has garnered much anticipation as it is an annual event that has become a cherished tradition at our school. The Co-curricular Department, as the hosting department, must demonstrate ingenuity in creating fun and creative activities for students and teachers to participate in. Under the theme ‘Celebrating an Abundant Year with The Soaring Dragon,’ a variety of activities were organized, including a zodiac cultural gallery, performances, lion dance, lantern riddles, a zodiac clay figurine competition, a zodiac scavenger hunt, zodiac photography spots, and games. These activities were met with enthusiastic participation and garnered much positive feedback from the students. Dragon badges and keychains were distributed as gifts to students, serving as both a reward and a souvenir of the event.

  3. How does this event correlate with Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, and what specific message do you intend to convey through it?

    This year’s Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration emphasises the ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs,’ one of our traditional cultures. By understanding the meaning behind the twelve zodiac signs, we can also learn about the twelve earthly branches, twelve hours, and various zodiac cultural customs. Each zodiac sign carries unique symbolism and deep meaning. Additionally, Chinese zodiac culture frequently appears in various fields, such as zodiac idioms, poems, spring couplets, calligraphy, traditional painting, and crafts.

    This year, we celebrate the Year of the Dragon. The dragon symbolises auspiciousness, innovation, and strength. It embodies the spirit of self-improvement, pioneering, and enterprising nature. Therefore, the ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Culture Exhibition’ reflects the spiritual outlook and characteristics of various zodiac signs, allowing students to revel in the charm of Chinese culture in the Lunar New Year atmosphere. One of the goals of the Co-curricular Department in planning the Lunar New Year activities was to strengthen students’ cultural confidence through cultural inheritance.

  4. Would you consider this event to be a success? Were there any areas that need improvement, or anything deserving praise and thanks?

    I am immensely grateful for the successful organisation of the 2024 Kuen Cheng High School Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration, with all activities running smoothly. My heartfelt thanks go out to all the teachers from the Co-curricular Department, teachers from various clubs and societies, the organising committee and all sub-committees who participated in the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration. Their collective efforts were truly appreciated, and it was through their collaboration that the celebration was executed so successfully.

    Once again, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Madam Ng Li San of the Co-curricular Department for providing us with insightful information about the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Treasure Hunt.