The room was filled with people who were talking and laughing as they enjoyed their boxed Chinese lunch while sitting in the Science Conference Center.  English and Chinese could be heard everywhere, the Chinese coming from the various teachers directing their students on what to do next for their performances. The Chinese Luncheon, an annual Bellaire tradition, was once again held by all the Chinese classes this year to celebrate the Chinese culture present in Bellaire.

Annie Zhu, an officer of the Chinese Club, helped put together and organize the event. She explained the work that the club had to put into this project to make it a success.

“We began weeks before the actual event, beginning with a CHS officer meeting then notifying everyone else to start preparing,” Zhu said. “We held officer meetings during lunch, rehearsals after school, and everybody received class time to practice.”

An important part of the job was also being able to incorporate Chinese culture into the event as well as the main point of the luncheon was to celebrate the unique aspects of Chinese Culture. When planning the event, the officers tried to put as many Chinese traditions as they could into the luncheon.

“Chinese culture was incorporated through the performances including to yo-yoing and dancing, as well as though Chinese attire and Chinese food,” Zhu said. “The food included some classic favorites like egg rolls and vegetables.”

Miles Mackenzie, a sophomore at Bellaire, commented on the luncheon from a regular student’s perspective, impressed at way the luncheon handled showing Chinese traditions.

“I think the Chinese Luncheon did a decent job at representing Chinese culture because it showcased some of the common types of music and dance, like the lion dance, commonly seen during Chinese New Year.”

Mackenzie not only believed that the luncheon was a good showing of culture, but also believed that the Chinese culture represented is an important part of Bellaire.

“Chinese culture is an important part of Bellaire because Chinese and Chinese-American students make up a significant part of the school’s population,” Mackenzie said. “With such a large population, the student life has adopted such culture.”

Andrew Sun, a student in Chinese who performed at the festival, explained how he believed he and the Chinese classes at Bellaire were able to represent the culture at Bellaire.

“We were able to showcase Chinese culture either it be through cuisine or performances,” said Sun. “We showed people the beautiful varieties of colors present in Chinese dishes, and we also showed the exhilarating forms of Chinese dance and performances.”

The Chinese luncheon showed the passion that both the Chinese club and Chinese students have toward the cultures and traditions of China. Each performance, from the yo-yoing to the Lion Dance, was amazing testimony to the big part that Chinese culture plays in Bellaire. The Chinese luncheon was an excellent opportunity to learn about the various pieces of Chinese culture present in Bellaire.