Regular
Annual
Joint
Summer
Outside
Other
All Events
Cantonese Table
Study Breaks
Mahjong Nights
Movie Screenings
Chinatown Trip
Mid-Autumn Festival
Hot Pot Dinner
Chinese New Year Dinner
Karaoke Trip
HKSA Banquet
Senior Dinner
Asian Night Market
Rice Bowl
Rice Court
Dragon 100
Dragon Boat Festival in NY
Cantonese Table
Study Breaks
Mahjong Nights
Movie Screenings
Cantonese (Traditional Chinese: 粵語; Simplified Chinese: 粤语, Cantonese: Yuet6yue5; Mandarin pinyin: Yueyu, lit. “Yụet (Guangdong) language”) is one of the major dialect groups or languages of the Chinese language or language family. It is mainly spoken in parts of southern Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, by Chinese minorities in Southeast Asia and by many overseas Chinese of Guangdong and Hong Kong origin worldwide. The name is derived from Canton, a former romanized Western name for Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. [more from Wikipedia]
HKSA holds Cantonese table every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Wu Dining Hall. Anyone who wishes to practice, polish, refresh, or learn Cantonese is welcome! A sign-in sheet is provided at the card-checking counter for those who don’t have a meal plan. We are friendly and fun, so please do hang out with us if you are at all interested.
Cantonese cuisine has widely been regarded as the pinnacle of Chinese regional fare, because of the immensity and diversity of the ingredients used. This is because Canton, a long established trading port in Southern China, has been exposed to more imported food products and ingredients than any other area in China. For example, shell fish and prawns are rarely served in Northern Chinese cuisine because, before the advent of refrigeration, these ingredients were simply not feasibly available. This has led Cantonese cuisine being one of the most flavour rich cuisines in the world. [more fromWikipedia]
Study breaks provide an venue for HKSA members and Hong Kong students who are otherwise too occupied to meet to get together informally, to update each other with events in Hong Kong or have impromtu debates about current Hong Kong politics. Others regard the delicious food as a comforting relief from the notorious “Cantonese pork” served in the PUDS dining halls. each are held monthly.
Mahjong (Traditional Chinese: 麻將; Simplified Chinese: 麻将; Pinyin: májiàng; Cantonese: màhjeung; or Chinese: 麻雀; Pinyin: máquè; Cantonese: màhjeuk; other common English spellings include mahjongg, majiang, and hyphenated forms such as mah-jong or mah-jongg) is a game for four players that originated in China. It is a game of skill, intelligence, calculation and luck. Depending on the variation which is played, the amount of luck may vary from 20 to 80 percent. In China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and other countries mahjong is often used for gambling. The Chinese word 麻将 literally means “hemp general”. In Cantonese an alternate writing, 麻雀, is more common (the same kanji are used in Japanese). In Cantonese this literally means “sparrow”, while in Japanese it means “hemp sparrow”, and is pronounced mā-jan. [more from Wikipedia]
Mahjong Nights are usually held twice a semester, aiming to introduce this traditional form of entertainment to Princeton students. Players of all levels are welcome, especially those who have no experience at all. We have enthusiastic teachers wanting to pass on their secret skills to you.
Hong Kong is the second largest exporter of movies in the world, after Hollywood and before Bollywood. Directors like Wong Kar-Wai or Zhang Yimou are widely acclaimed and have awards from respectable organization such as the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. HKSA seeks to introduce this rich tradition of cinema to the Princeton population by screening series of Hong Kong movies, sometimes in conjunction with Study Breaks or Mahjong Nights.
Movie screenings are held twice a semester. Details will be posted as the date approaches.
Chinatown Trip
Mid-Autumn Festival
Hot Pot Dinner
Chinese New Year Dinner
Karaoke Trip
HKSA Banquet
Senior Dinner
Chinatown in New York City is one of the largest urban populations of Chinese near Princeton. For students not only away from home for the first time, but halfway across the globe, it is often reassuring to be in a setting that reminds one of home. For others, Chinatown is a vibrant section of town that offers almost everything from food to vegetables, Hong Kong movies to Chinese newspapers.
The trip is planed to be held in late September on a Saturday for students to shop around for edibles or just to experience the epitome of Chinese culture for a day.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. Together with the celebration, there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting osmanthus trees, lighting lanterns on towers, and fire dragon dances. Shops selling mooncakes, before the festival, often display pictures of Chang’e, floating to the moon. [more fromWikipedia]
Since Mid-Autumn Festival often occurs in mid-September, it is often the opening event of the academic year. It acts as a perfect opportunity to expose its new members, often freshman, to the association and the Hong Kong community on campus. The cultural event also seeks to introduce this speical cultural tradition to the Princeton student body. [see photos]
Chinese New Year (Traditional Chinese: 春節, or 農曆新年; Simplified Chinese: 春节, or 农历新年; Pinyin: chūnjié, or nónglì xīnnián), also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year’s Day, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. This is the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year. In such a case, the New Year falls on the day of the third new moon after the solstice. (The next time this occurs is in 2033.) The Chinese New Year period ends with the Lantern Festival, on the fifteenth day of the festival. [more from Wikipedia]
Usually held within the Chinese New Year, the dinner provides an opportunity for the association to introduce this important cultural tradition to its members. Through ‘red packets’, holiday candy as well as delicious festival dishes, HKSA endeavors to foster cultural exchange between American customs and traditional Chinese culture, while adding a modernist Hong Kong tang to spice things up. [see photos]
Hot pot, also known as Steamboat, is a communal dish which originates from Mongolia, but now eaten in a variety of forms throughout East Asia. It consists of a simmering pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. [...] Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter. [...] Da Been Lo is the common Cantonese terminology for Hot pot which roughly translates into “hitting the side of the pot”. [more fromWikipedia]
The Hot Pot dinner is a tentative social event aimed to be an alternative to the popular study breaks held on campus. Since the meal requires extensive preparation as well as long dining time, it allows more than the consumption of free food; it enables students to undergo cultural osmosis while savoring tasty oriental delicacies. The event will be held ideally in the winter time around January/February.
Karaoke (Japanese: カラオケ, from 空 kara, “empty” or “void”, and オーケストラ ōkesutora, “orchestra”) is a form of entertainment in which an amateur singer or singers sing along with recorded music on microphone. The music is typically of a well-known song in which the voice of the original singer is absent or reduced in volume. Lyrics are usually also displayed, sometimes including color changes synchronized with the music, on music video to guide the sing-along.
The to-be-confirmed Karaoke trip allows participants to familiarize themselves first-hand the popular culture of Hong Kong. Despite its Japanese roots, Karaoke has capitivated the Hong Kong teenage population and dramatically converted the leisure habits of young people. The trip could be to New Jersey, Chinatown, or Flushing, depending on the number of participants. It would be held in mid-March. [see photos]
Hong Kong Student’s Association presents their annual banquet entitled “Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing: the future dynamics of Asia’s World Cities”. As a discussion over dinner, we will investigate the three rising cities in China and discuss which has the most potential to become entitled Asia’s World City. Three renowned speakers have been invited in this discussion.
The banquet is usually held in mid-April.
At the end of every academic year, HKSA organizes a farewell dinner, usually at a Chinese restaurant, for the graduating Hong Kong seniors. The event seeks to reinforce the bond between students from different classes, so that links can be maintained between alumni, current students as well as prospective students.
This year the dinner will be held May 11, 2006 (Thu) at Superstar East Buffet. There is a need for drivers AND cars. Please email hongkong@princeton.edu immediately if you want to participate and/or volunteer as drivers.
> Meet Thursday by the U-Store at 6 p.m. and celebrate finishing theses with seniors!
Asian Night Market
Rice Bowl
Rice Court
Princeton’s TASA (Taiwanese American Student’s Association) initiated this annual event in late April that unites all the Asian student organizations together to emulate the common sight of streets flanked by street vendors offering goldfish, snacks, merchandise and games. The event is open both to the University and the Princeton public in an effort to link the Asian communities in the area together instead of the common sight of ethnic division. [more from TASA]
Princeton’s AASA (Asian American Student’s Association) holds this annual volleyball tournament in early May among all the Asian student organizations. Participants usually include CSA, KASA, SASA, TASA, and HKSA.
This year the event was held May 10, 2006 (Wed) at 12:00 pm in the Mathey Courtyard with BBQ throughout the afternoon. HKSA grabs 2nd place, losing narrowly to KASA. Thanks to all members that came out to play! [more from AASA]
Also organized by AASA, Rice Court is an annual basketball tournament that occurs usually in late November/early December among all the Asian student organizations. Participating teams often include CSA, KASA, SASA, and TASA. HKSA has fielded co-rec teams in the past, but there were usually not enough people to form a men’s team. Hence HKSA tends to merge with the CSA men’s team to form a stronger team to steal the trophy.
Summer Gatherings in Hong Kong
Details are still under discussion. After the next board meeting, information will be posted here as soon as possible.
Dragon 100 - Young Chinese Leaders Forum 2006
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York
Dragon 100 - Young Chinese Leaders Forum 2006
August 23rd to 30th, 2006
3 days of activities in Hong Kong
5-day study tour in Xian
Roundtrip airfare to Hong Kong, airport fee, visa fee, and medical insurance NOT covered. Everything else is FREE!
Deadline for Nomination Forms: May 2nd, 2006
Deadline for Application: May 6th, 2006
“This year’s Forum comprises a 3-day forum in Hong Kong and a 5-day study trip to Xi’an. During the programme, delegates will meet government officials, academics and professionals from various fields in order to discuss the many challenges related to China’s participation in the WTO. The young leaders will also visit top corporations and recently launched economic projects to improve their understanding of economic development in China. We hope to draw participants between the ages of 18 and 35 who have demonstrated leadership skills, academic prowess and a commitment to the community, from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China and overseas.”
For more information, please visit www.dragon100.net
For the nomination form, visit here.
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York
Dear Friends,
This year’s annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival (DBF) in New York will be held on 12 - 13 August, which is a Saturday and Sunday. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (NYETO) is proud to be a sponsor for this important occasion again this year. You are cordially invited to join the NYETO Team, or even form your own teams to take part and share the great fun! You are also most welcome to spread the news to your friends or members of your organizations, and encourage them to sign up.
With many years of history, the DBF has become one of keynote events in the calendar of New York City. This year we will again have exciting boat races and fabulous land cultural programs and games booths at Flushing Medows Park in Queens.
We plan to form NYETO Team to take part in the Regular Divisions, which is more suitable for amateurs. For the Regular Divisions, a minimum of 10 paddlers, one drummer and one steerperson is required. The Team can be in Regular Open (which has no required minimum on the number of female peddlers) or the Regular Mixed (which requires a minimum of 4 female paddlers). It will be free of charge for you to sign up with the NYETO Team.
If you are thinking about forming your own team, besides the Regular Divisions, there are the US Open Divisions and Advanced Divisions which are for the more experienced. There will be a registration fee payable to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, Inc.
Free weekly practice will start by the second and third weeks of June at the venue in Flushing. A team may choose either Saturday or Sunday for practice, each lasting about one hour.
You will find more Information about the DBF at this link: “www.hkdbf-ny.org“.
Don’t miss the chance to be a part of this Hong Kong event, work out and enjoy the great Summer time in New York City. If you or your friends would like to join the NYETO team, please email Mr. Clint Heyliger at clint_heyliger@hketony.gov.hk.
For those interested in forming teams, note that there will be a Team Captain’s meeting on May 19 at the Conference Room of NYETO. You will find registration details and contact information about the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, Inc. at the above link.
Best regards,
Edward Mak
Deputy Director
Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office
115 E. 54th Street
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-752-3320 ext. 203
Fax: 212-752-3395
Email: edward_mak@hketony.gov.hk
Web: http://www.hongkong.org
For additional events, please consult the events pages of the Department of East Asian Studies, theInternational Center, the Tang Center, as well as the web pages of the different Asian groups on campus. [more from links]
