This page will provide you with information about extracurricular activities that can be of interest for students learning Chinese, links to study tools and resources, additional information about Chinese culture and tips about travel to China.
Even though our Chinese Language Program is relatively small, it is very active. Every year the students celebrate the Chinese New Year (picture above). You also have an opportunity to attend conversation meetings to practice your pronunciation and meet new friends!
You can also consider spending a semester in Shanghai, or get involved in one of many AMS clubs or participate in Kingston Chinese community life.
Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)
The Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) is an international education support service for students, faculty and staff at Queen’s. Through its activities the Centre promotes an internationally informed and cross culturally sensitive university community.
QUIC programs and services support
- the academic and personal development of international students, other international members of the Queen’s community, and their families;
- the academic and personal development of Queen’s students, staff and faculty interested in Education Abroad; and
- the internationalization of the campus by working with university departments, offices, groups and individuals to enhance and diversify the international learning environment at Queen’s through educational and training activities.
QUIC offers many cultural events and get-togethers for students, as well as the opportunity to volunteer to support international students with improving their English as they integrate into Queen’s life. It is a fruitful way to meet other students from other countries, to help and to learn from one another.
Check QUIC Calendar of Events for the most up-to-date information.
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. Lunar New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.
Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year vary widely. Often, the evening preceding Chinese New Year's Day is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.
Every year, Chinese New Year is celebrated at Queen's. The party, organized by Professor Bai and with assistance of all students in Chinese classes, is a wonderful opportunity to talk to friends, enjoy different activities, laugh and share a meal.
Chinese Conversational Club
Chinese Conversational Club is for Queen’s students who are currently taking or have taken a Chinese course. It is specifically geared towards Mandarin conversational practice between the students and Chinese volunteers in a fun and relaxed environment. This is a great opportunity for students who wish to improve their Mandarin conversation skills as well as gain more knowledge of the Chinese language and culture. Students seeking extra help with tutorial/course material such as readings are also encouraged to come to the conversational sessions.
Sessions are held every Friday from 4pm to 5pm (you can come late or leave early) in room 307, third floor in Kingston Hall.
Everyone is welcome!
Student Clubs
With approximately 450 student clubs to choose from, you can easily enhance what you learn in the classroom and have a chance to embrace your passions. More than 100 cultural and ethnic student clubs and organizations foster diversity and cultural engagement on campus. Below are AMS (Alma Mater Society) clubs that may be of interest to students of Chinese:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Queen's Chinese Students' Association | Queen's Chinese Students' Association (QCSA) represents the Chinese community within the Queen’s student body as well as the Kingston community. It is a cultural club that hosts events throughout the school year to foster friendship, to strengthen the ties between the school and the community, and to educate, inform, and promote Chinese culture. |
| Queen's Chinese Students and Scholars Association | QCSSA is a Chinese student society which connects with the Chinese Embassy and offers help for Chinese students at Queen’s University. |
| Great Panda Society | Our club aims to produce a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that embraces students of all ethnicities who are interested in Chinese culture as well as socializing. Our club serves as not only a social group for entertainment but also a bridge that links Chinese and Western culture. We achieve this in our multi ethnicity club by providing information and knowledge of our ancient country to non-Chinese students through interactive activities, and helping the new Chinese international students to overcome culture shock and fell at home in Canada as soon as possible. Our goal is to form cross-cultural bonds and friendships while spreading Chinese culture. |
| Queen’s Hong Kong Students’ Association | Queen’s Hong Kong Students’ Association is a cultural club established under the AMS here at Queen’s. Founded in 1999, QHKSA’s main objective is to create awareness of Hong Kong heritage at Queen’s and to foster better understanding between Hong Kong and other cultures within the community. We promote the Hong Kong culture, which is a marriage of the rich, Chinese heritage to the sophisticated English tradition, and offer students the opportunity to share their cultural similarities and to enhance friendships. |
| Queen's Yu Theatre Society |
QYT, a modern and contemporary Chinese Theatre Society, we focus on contemporary Chinese theatre. We strive to share our classical modern theatre culture in this inclusive community. We gather people who have the same interest and provide a place for people to share and feel at home. |
Kingston community
The first Chinese immigrants came to Kingston in the late 1880s. They found work in Kingston’s service sector or started their own businesses, usually laundries and restaurants. Later generations began to enter other jobs, trades, and professions and, by 1941, the Kingston City Directory listed Chinese people employed in such varied fields as carpentry and stenography. Most Chinese lived and worked centrally in the downtown core of Kingston, where their business could cater to the surrounding residents, as well as benefit from tourists and the student population. In Kingston, there was no “Chinatown”, an area of the city exclusively for Chinese businesses and residences, but most settled in the downtown core, along Princess Street between Division Street and Sydenham Street. By remaining close to one another, the Chinese community was able to support its members. It was also very common for Chinese residences to be attached to their businesses, adding to this sense of community. Accordingly, other Chinese clubs and organizations were often situated nearby (Source: Stones of Kingston)
Today, the Chinese Canadian Association of Kingston and District promotes cultural exchanges between the Chinese Canadian community and other Canadians to lead to good will and mutual understanding. It also fosters and promotes the retention of the Chinese cultural heritage within the Canadian context.
Related links
| Learning Chinese | |
|---|---|
| These websites provide a searchable interface. Searches can be conducted by Chinese pinyin, or English. | |
| Annotator | This tool makes learning to read Chinese easier by automatically marking up the words in a simplified Chinese text with their pronunciations and dictionary definitions. |
| Convert pinyin tone numbers to tone marks | This is a guide to the writing of Mandarin Chinese in Pinyin, with tone marks. |
| Culture and Travel | |
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China-corner
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This Website is established as a platform to promote and discuss 5000 years of Chinese civilization and culture. |
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Travel China Guide offers China travel packages and tourist guide information for travellers to explore the Chinese civilization of this beautiful and mysterious land. |
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Regent-China Today Tour Office
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Regent-China Today Tours provides professional and human-oriented China tour service. |
| Chinese Embassy | |
|---|---|
| Embassy of the PR China in Canada | This Website provides all visitors with useful information on China via the Internet. |
| The Center for Language Education and Cooperation | Established in 1987 (and formerly known as Hanban), the purpose of the CLEC is to make connections in international Chinese language education, cross-cultural cooperation and understanding of the Chinese language. CLEC has thousands of high-quality resources to help you learn Chinese. Connect with them on their Facebook page. |