The Overseas Chinese Student Culture Week was open amid thunderous drums and vivacious lion dance last Tuesday at Tamsui Campus. This fanfare attracted hundreds of students, staff and faulty members. Dr. Kao Po-yuan, the Vice President of the Administrative Affairs was also there to witness the raw energy of the performers, which symbolized, he observed, the viability and influences of all cultures on one another. The lion dance, accompanied by unique Chinese drum rhythms (a special mixture of percussion that capture the 24 festivals in traditional lunar calender) was particularly mesmerizing and so was the dazzling Diabolo act (also known as the Chinese Yo-Yo) that managed four times to throw the Diabolo up in the air and catch it with the string successfully.

In the following four days, there were other performances that included a fashion show, a teaching of folk songs, and cultural quizzes. The fashion show consisted of folk and formal costumes from Myanmar, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Learning folk songs and answering questions about the customs and cultures of these countries also allowed Taiwanese students a taste of different lives. Speaking of taste, exotic food from various regions could be sampled at the Exhibition Hall of the Business Administrative Building. Food aside, details of festivals and other cultural activities were also on displays. Many visitors claimed that they got itchy feet right after the exhibition. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )