2026 Chinese Culture Wonderland Melbourne: Closing Ceremony

Chinese education and cultural activities

On the evening of 30 September, the lights came on at Box Hill Town Hall.

After days of learning, rehearsing and sharing experiences,

the 2026 Chinese Culture Wonderland Melbourne programme reached its closing celebration.

This evening, the stage belonged to the children.

They brought the works they had made,

and the movements, songs and dances they had learned in class,

stepping from their desks into the spotlight.

In a showcase full of youthful spirit and Chinese cultural traditions,

they brought this journey across oceans to a warm and memorable close.

Young Imaginations in Ink and Craft

Even before the performance began, the hall was filled with the children’s creative work .

Chinese paintings featured graceful bamboo, lively birds and flowers, and expressive landscapes. Calligraphy hung on the walls: the brushstrokes sometimes showed a beginner’s hand, but always reflected care and concentration.

A selection of students’ calligraphy

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A selection of students’ Chinese paintings

Brightly coloured Peking opera masks stood alongside delicate paper-cut parasols. Lacquer fans, gold-leaf art and mother-of-pearl inlay shimmered gently under the lights.

Box Hill Town Hall had become a small exhibition of Chinese culture, created by the children themselves.

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A selection of students’ painted Peking opera masks

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A selection of students’ paper-cutting works

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A selection of students’ traditional Chinese craftwork

These works were not about achieving an adult idea of perfection.

What mattered was that every brushstroke, cut and carefully placed piece of material recorded a real attempt to learn.

From learning how to place a brush on paper to completing a painting of their own, and from discovering traditional patterns to bringing old techniques to life in new colours, the children gained more than finished works: they made a personal connection with Chinese culture.

Australian and Chinese Guests Celebrate Together

As the closing ceremony began, Australian and Chinese guests and representatives of the organisers delivered their remarks.

They reflected on the students’ achievements and recognised the role of Chinese cultural education in young people’s development, community exchange and friendship between Australia and China.

Kirsten Langford

Mayor of Whitehorse

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Paul Hamer MP

Victorian Member of Parliament

Minister for Roads and Road Safety

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Liu Dongyuan

Vice-Consul, Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne

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Zhang Jing

Deputy Dean, School of International Cooperation, Qingdao Open University

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Philip Chui JP

Chinese Fellowship Chinese School

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Chen Guangbao

President, Shandong Association and Chamber of Commerce

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Guests addressing the closing ceremony

A video of the students’ classroom experiences brought the learning journey back to life.

It showed the curiosity of first encounters, the concentration of repeated practice, teachers patiently guiding students, and the shared smiles when a piece of work was complete.

In just a few days, unfamiliar activities had become familiar skills, and hesitant learners had gained the confidence to perform. The seeds of cultural understanding had begun to take root.

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Teachers and Students Bring Learning to the Stage

The closing showcase was more than a collection of performances.

It was a Chinese culture lesson without classroom walls: children stood alongside their teachers, turning what they had learned into expressions that audiences could see, hear and feel.

Tai Chi Fan: Flute Melodies and Fan Movements

Teacher Fan Xingwei led the opening performance with the students.

Red fans opened and closed like clouds at sunset, while the movements balanced strength and softness.

With focused expressions and measured steps, the children explored the calm of tai chi and the power of martial arts. Their sweeping fans set the tone for the evening.

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Folk Song: Yimeng Mountain Melody

Teachers Zhao Furong and Xu Zhongqiang joined the students to sing Yimeng Mountain Melody.

Clear young voices blended with the teachers’ warm singing. A melody rooted in the Yimeng Mountains travelled across oceans to fill a Melbourne evening.

The song carried more than memories of a place: it expressed an enduring connection between people and their homeland.

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Peking Opera: Stories Behind the Painted Faces

Teacher Zhang Jing introduced students to the colourful world of Peking opera face painting.

Red for loyalty and courage, black for integrity, white for cunning: as the masks appeared, the children used movement and performance to tell the stories and personalities behind the colours.

Through their lively interpretations, a traditional art form became approachable, expressive and fun.

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Paper-Cutting: Patterns and Parasols

Led by teacher Zhang Yanhua, children took to the stage with paper-cut parasols and clothing decorated with paper-cut designs, sharing their individual creations.

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Patterns unfolded as parasols turned, and designs moved with each step, bringing traditional paper-cutting to life across the stage.

With paper and their own hands, the children created flowers, birds and good wishes, expressing the beauty they saw in Chinese culture.

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Chinese Dance: Dancing in the Gentle Breeze

Teacher Lin Yajie and the students presented a graceful Chinese dance, Dancing in the Gentle Breeze.

Flowing sleeves, turning skirts and carefully timed movements revealed the subtle, expressive beauty of Chinese dance.

For a moment, the breeze seemed visible on stage: gentle and elegant, with the lingering atmosphere of a traditional art form.

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Classical Poetry: Childhood in Verse

Teacher Ju Anan led the younger children onto the stage, holding their hands.

Their young, earnest voices began to recite, bringing to life the lotus leaves of southern China and the paper kites of spring in scenes full of childhood wonder.

Spoken by the children, classical poems became more than lines to memorise. They offered a window into nature, feelings and an imagined world.

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Martial Arts: Youngsters Chasing the Wind

Teacher Yang Long led an energetic martial arts performance that brought the audience to life.

Strong punches, decisive steps and coordinated movements filled the stage with youthful energy and determination.

The children learned more than movements: martial arts also encouraged concentration, perseverance and the courage to meet a challenge.

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Hulusi: Auld Lang Syne

Teacher Xu Zhongqiang and the students played Auld Lang Syne together.

The warm, flowing sound of the hulusi, a Chinese gourd flute, gave the familiar tune a gentle and moving character.

Students of different ages stood side by side, using music to celebrate friendships formed through shared learning and culture.

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Traditional Chinese Crafts: Colours of Heritage

Teacher Wang Jun led a runway-style presentation of the students’ traditional craftwork.

The classes explored mother-of-pearl inlay, lacquer fans, gold-leaf art and other traditional techniques.

Children carried their creations onto the stage. Mother-of-pearl caught the light, gold-leaf patterns shone, and colourful lacquer fans slowly opened.

By discovering materials, learning techniques and making something themselves, the children experienced living heritage as something they could touch, create and share, rather than simply view in a display case.

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Chinese Painting and Calligraphy: Landscapes in Ink

Led by teachers Gao Yang and Li Xiao, the children presented their own paintings and calligraphy in a runway-style display.

Scrolls unfolded and round fans were raised, revealing landscapes, flowers, birds and brushwork. The care and imagination of the classroom had found a stage of their own.

Every stroke marked a step in learning; every painting and fan carried a child’s imagination.

Without a word, ink and brush brought landscapes to life.

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Chinese Mongolian Dance: Chasing the Grassland Wind

Teacher Sun Xiaoliang and the students brought the energy and open landscapes of Chinese Mongolian dance to a Melbourne stage.

Blue costumes moved with the dancers, while lively rhythms accompanied broad, flowing steps.

With arms outstretched and light, rhythmic footwork, the children seemed to dance into a grassland breeze, adding a burst of energy to the programme.

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A Certificate to Remember the Journey

After the performances, a presentation of Chinese paintings and calligraphy took place.

Unfolding scrolls revealed flowers, rocks and landscapes. Each work carried the artist’s care and a friendship across oceans, leaving a lasting reminder of this cultural journey.

Presentation of paintings and calligraphy

Guests then presented completion certificates to the students who had taken part in Chinese Culture Wonderland.

The children received their certificates with pride, holding a keepsake of their own progress.

The certificates marked more than the completion of a programme.

They recalled the concentration of writing a first Chinese character, the surprise of cutting red paper into a pattern, the delight of sounding a first note on the hulusi, and the journey from a shy observer to an active participant on stage.

Guests presenting completion certificates to students

One Song, a Shared Connection

To close the event, guests, teachers and students came together on stage to sing The Same Song.

Children waved small flags as the familiar melody filled the hall. Voices, applause and smiles brought the evening to a warm conclusion.

The final group photograph captured more than a closing ceremony: it recorded a cultural gathering across ages, languages and places.

Guests, teachers and students singing The Same Song

The closing ceremony was not the end of the journey.

Along with certificates and artwork, the children took home a melody, a sequence of martial arts movements, a classical poem and the memory of a brush first touching rice paper.

Passing on culture is about more than handing traditions unchanged to the next generation.

It means encouraging children to approach, experience and understand those traditions, then express them in their own voices and ways.

As the seeds of cultural understanding take root in Melbourne classrooms and young hearts, a heritage that has crossed oceans continues to grow.

Guests, teachers and students together after the event

The 2026 Chinese Culture Wonderland Melbourne programme has come to a successful close.

The lights have dimmed and the singing has paused,

but this story of culture, growth and new connections

will continue quietly through the children’s lives.