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After the well-received CUHK International Festival in the first term, The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Office of Student Affairs and the Taskforce for Enhancing International Bonding on Campus (iBond) joined hands again to organize the 8-day Latin Fiesta@CUHK.  As part of CUHK’s commitment to promoting cultural diversity on campus and encouraging interaction among students of different nationalities, Latin Fiesta@CUHK presented a host of activities including an opening ceremony, a wine tasting workshop, cultural talks and movie screenings to promote Latin American cultures and facilitate inter-cultural interaction on campus. 

Experiencing the vitality of Latin American cultures 

The opening ceremony of Latin Fiesta@CUHK was officiated by Prof. Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and was graced by the presence of the consuls and representatives of some Latin American countries in Hong Kong, including Mr. Jose Miguel Gonzalez Serrano, Consul-General of Chile; Mr. Sergio Avila and Mr. Gonzalo Talavera, respectively Consul-General and Deputy Consul-General of Peru; Ms. Fernanda Medina Mora, Assistant for Cultural Affairs and Ms. Aurora Solano, Assistant of Economic and Trade Promotion, Consulate-General of Mexico in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Ms. Diana Hieb, President of the Spanish Speaking Women’s Association of Hong Kong.  At the ceremony, two Mexican students performed salsa dancing, one of the typical Latin dances. The ‘Mariachi Fiesta Project’ ensemble brought the house down by presenting Mexican music and delivering a rearranged English pop song together with a local student. In addition, students from various Latin American countries showcased the rich hues of their cultures by dressing up in their colourful traditional costumes. The catwalk display was complemented by an energetic Mexican dance performed by a Malaysian student. 

Beyond performances, the booths, featuring useful information guides and food from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, were packed with visitors. Mr. Sergio Avila, Consul-General of Peru, even personally prepared quinua salad and Peruvian potato salad. The students from Chile and Colombia also made some of their signature snacks for tastings. The Spanish Speaking Women’s Association of Hong Kong, with members from various Latin American countries, showcased costume displays and food of a wide variety. Carolina Quiroz, a postgraduate student from Chile said, ‘Cooking specialty food of my country with my Chilean classmates was incredible, which made me feel at home. We were so happy to share with the CUHK community something about Chile. I am thankful for having this opportunity to promote my country.’ 

Promoting multi-faceted Latin American cultures 

The dynamic themes of the four cultural talks at Latin Fiesta@CUHK provided events for all. Mr. James Hong, a renowned travel writer, shared exciting stories about his trips to Latin America, its cultures and useful travelling tips. Ms. Riki Ueda, a well-travelled freelancer, told the audience how she embarked alone on the unusual journey of doing volunteer work for animals in Latin America and her exciting experiences from that work. Mr. Anthony Chiu, director of Hong Kong Fair Trade Power, introduced the concept of fair trade and talked about how his trip to Latin America led to his set-up of the social enterprise. Mr. Fred Lam, former Chief Campaigner of Roundtable Community, chose ‘moving’ as the theme of his talk and told the stories of immigrants and emigrants in Latin America. 

For the movie screenings, three selected movies from Brazil (Waste Land), Chile (Historias De Futbol) and Argentina (Secrets in Their Eyes) were shown. Post-screening sessions were hosted by guests for deeper discussions about the social and artistic dimensions of Latin America. The guests were Mr. Kevin Cheung, a local product designer, Mr. Cheng Siu Chung, a former football player and a current football commentator, as well as Mr. Ken Tsang, a Civic Party member. 

At the wine tasting workshop co-organized by the Consulate-General of Argentina in Hong Kong and Macao and the Wine Society of CUHK, not only did the participants get to taste luscious Argentine wines, they also learnt more about Argentina through the interesting backstories of the wines and the tips shared by the wine sponsors. 

Supporting organizations:
Consulate-General of Argentina in Hong Kong and Macao
Consulate-General of Chile in Hong Kong and Macau
Consulate-General of Mexico in Hong Kong and Macao
Consulate-General of Peru in Hong Kong and Macao
Spanish Speaking Women’s Association of Hong Kong
Wine Society of CUHK 

To learn more about Latin Fiesta@CUHK, please visit www.facebook.com/CUHKCulturalEncounters. 

iBond at CUHK 

The ‘iBond’ (Taskforce for Enhancing International Bonding on Campus) Programme aims at promoting internationalization on campus by broadening students’ global vision, and to promote integration of the CUHK local, mainland and overseas students by organizing various activities.