The highly anticipated 2025 Chinese New Year Gala of the Cambridge Chinese community is getting closer and closer to us! Let’s dive into the exciting and diverse programs of the Spring Festival Gala together!
Face-Changing Performance: By Zhang Zhijie
Zhang Zhijie (Masker) is a member of the Sichuan Dramatists Association and the Hebei Youth Artists Association. Recognized as a National Outstanding Playwright in the 2021 Opera Yearbook, he has dedicated a decade to the art of Sichuan face-changing. With exceptional skills and a deep understanding of various techniques, he masterfully embodies the cultural essence of facial masks, vividly portraying character emotions through their transformations during performances.
His apprentice, Liu Yaning, has studied the craft for three years and is a member of the Sino-British Theatre Association and an inheritor of the Ge’s Mask Intangible Cultural Heritage in Panjin City. She is proficient in unique acts such as puppet face-changing, fire-spitting, and face-returning.
Together, the master and apprentice actively perform on both domestic and international stages, promoting and preserving the art of Sichuan face-changing, allowing this cultural treasure to shine brightly.
Magic: By JezO
JezO, a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, is an award-winning magician and comedy entertainer. He serves as the president of the Cambridge Pentacle Club and is a member of the prestigious Magic Circle.
Born into a theatrical family, JezO began entertaining as a magician and DJ from a young age. After studying performing arts, he founded his own entertainment, event hosting, and DJ company, achieving great success at various events. A naturally gifted comedian and magician, JezO is a dynamic performer who has also worked as a film and television actor.
He has toured the UK with his children’s show, JezO’s Magic and Laughter Show. Recently, he has been part of touring productions such as WOW! This Show is Magic, Hansel and Gretel, King Silly, Treasure Island and Magic!, and more.
His performance at the 2023 Cambridge Chinese Community Spring Festival Gala left us wanting more, and we eagerly anticipate the spectacular show he will bring to the 2025 Gala!
Jinghu Performance: By Qiu Zenghui
Qiu Zenghui is a versatile Chinese Peking Opera musician. Proficient in traditional opera arts, she excels in playing over ten different Chinese instruments and has recorded and released numerous performance albums. With more than thirty years of stage experience in Peking Opera and Chinese folk music, she has dedicated herself to promoting Chinese Peking Opera culture since moving to the UK in 1999. She founded the Sino-British Theatre Association, frequently organizing Peking Opera lectures and training sessions, providing an interactive platform for opera enthusiasts.
Beyond this, Qiu Zenghui is passionate about arts education. She has taught Chinese Peking Opera and Kunqu at SOAS, University of London, and has performed and conducted hundreds of music and opera workshops in schools across the UK. She has also participated in various performing arts events in countries such as France, Germany, Spain, and Japan, representing the Chinese community in spreading Peking Opera art. Qiu Zenghui was awarded the Palme d’Argent Medal by the Global Philanthropy Alliance in recognition of her contributions to promoting Chinese Peking Opera culture and fostering cultural exchange between China and the UK.
Dance Performance: By Zuo Wanting
Zuo Wanting (Wanting Zuo) is a talented dancer and dance teacher with extensive international stage experience and outstanding teaching achievements. She was a principal dancer in the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble’s production The Eternal Wave and holds a Master’s degree in Dance Practice and Performance (with Distinction) from the University of Roehampton, where she received the International Excellence Scholarship. In 2024, she was the lead dancer in Leaping Over Waves at the UK Chinese New Year Gala and the Goldsmiths Confucius Institute Spring Festival Gala, and she directed the dance Mysterious Harmony for the Edinburgh International Festival Chinese Carnival. Zuo has won the Gold Award at the Hunan Provincial Youth Dance Competition and the Second Prize at the Hunan Provincial “Three Solo Arts” Competition. She also participated in the cultural performance celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China at the embassy. As a collaborating artist for the Royal College of Art’s exhibition Network of Actors, she represented China at the Kyoto East Asia Arts Festival opening ceremony in 2017 and performed in cultural exchange events across three European countries.
Currently, she works at UKCPA (UK-China Performing Arts), where she is an exceptional teacher of Chinese classical dance, having guided many students into top-tier art institutions. Additionally, as a research assistant at the University of Roehampton, she contributes to the study of “counterpoint” in dance structures, continuously exploring innovation and development in dance art.
Peking Opera The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers: Performed by Wang Wei
Wang Wei is a Peking Opera enthusiast based in London. With a postgraduate background in literature and finance, she has entrepreneurial experience in study abroad consulting, financial training, and AI technology. She has a deep passion for music-related art forms and has dedicated years to their study. From a young age, she learned musical instruments such as the accordion and piano, and later studied vocal music, Peking Opera, and Kunqu under renowned masters both in China and abroad. She excels in comparative studies of traditional Chinese and Western music and vocal techniques, specializing in performing art songs and ethnic vocal works. As a Mei School qingyi (young female role) performer, she can perform classic operas such as The Jade Hall Spring, Farewell My Concubine, The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, The Drunken Concubine, Xi Shi, The Fourth Son Visits His Mother, The Wujia Slope, The Broken Bridge, and The Peony Pavilion. Having lived in the UK for over a decade, she has frequently participated in and been featured in artistic performances both domestically and internationally. In her spare time, she shares her knowledge of traditional opera through online and offline platforms. Her Bilibili recorded course on Peking Opera, Xipi Singing Styles, has been well-received by many opera fans.
Song Performance: By You Mingyan
You Mingyan (Mia) holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Opera from the Central Conservatory of Music and has 30 years of experience in vocal teaching. Her students have won numerous awards in national competitions, including a second prize in the National Youth Singing Competition. They have also been featured in children’s programs on CCTV. She has published multiple papers in national-level journals and received national awards. Over the past decade in the UK, she has focused on teaching vocal students, many of whom have won scholarships, passed graded exams, and achieved success in various competitions. Her students have won gold awards in the UK division of the Chinese Water Cube Cup Singing Competition for four consecutive years, in both the youth and children’s categories, with one youth contestant securing a silver award in the global finals.
Stay tuned for the next wave of program reveals…
Acknowledgments to our sponsors (in no particular order):
Top-tier sponsors：
The Hill Group is the second-largest family-owned developer in the UK. Over the 25 years since its founding, the company has won more than 500 awards in categories such as “Best Development,” “Best Residential Property,” and “Best Residential Builder.” Currently, Hill has 207 developments across the UK, primarily concentrated in the Greater Cambridge area, Greater London, Oxford, Bristol, and Coventry. Hill’s portfolio includes a diverse range of projects, from landmark mixed-use developments and large-scale urban apartment complexes to rural community housing. The company employs over 850 staff members, operating from six regional offices, with its headquarters located in Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Blue Mountain Global Intercultural Exchange Group
Founded by Mr. Liu Wei, an Honorary Doctor of the University of Cambridge’s St. Edmund’s College, the Blue Mountain Global Intercultural Exchange Group is dedicated to its mission of “promoting cross-cultural exchange and fostering international friendships.” Blue Mountain Culture has consistently adhered to this mission, driving the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures. The group actively expands international collaborations and continuously explores the deep integration of culture with education, technology, trade, tourism, and other diverse fields. Through these cross-disciplinary partnerships, Blue Mountain aims to provide clients with richer, more diverse, and innovative cultural exchange products and services, making the world a better place through cross-cultural communication and understanding.
Gold Sponsors：
HNA Aviation Group, a subsidiary of Liaoning Fangda Group, is committed to providing efficient, safe, and convenient international aviation services, serving as a vital aerial bridge between China and the UK. Among its subsidiaries, Hainan Airlines is the only mainland Chinese carrier to receive a SKYTRAX five-star rating, offering global travelers a first-class flying experience with exceptional service and stringent safety standards.
Currently, HNA Aviation Group operates flights to major UK cities such as London, Manchester, and Edinburgh through its airlines—Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, and Capital Airlines. These flights connect directly or via transfers to key destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Fujian, Haikou, Changsha, Xi’an, Chongqing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hangzhou, and Shenyang, meeting the diverse travel needs of passengers between China and the UK. With its comprehensive route network and high-quality services, HNA Aviation Group provides seamless cross-border travel experiences, strengthening the economic and cultural ties between China and the UK.
HNA Aviation Group remains customer-centric, partnering with you to embark on wonderful journeys between China and the UK.
Welcoming the Spring of the Serpent, Blessings Fill Cambridge
2025 Cambridge Chinese Community Spring Festival Gala
Saturday, January 25, 2025
The Netherhal School Atrium hall
Queen Edith’s Way, Cambridge CB1 8NN
Temple Fair
Time: January 25, 2025, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Admission: Free
Spring Festival Performance
Time: January 25, 2025, 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
- Premier Seating: Adults £20, Children (3-10 years) £10
- Standard Seating: Adults £10, Children (3-10 years) £6
Ticket Purchase
Please click the link below to complete your ticket purchase. Save the QR code and scan it for entry (we recommend taking a screenshot or printing the QR code in advance to avoid any issues with on-site network connectivity that may prevent the QR code from displaying).
Eventbrite Ticket Purchase Link:
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