New Zealand Chinese Language Week, August 31 - September 6

Yafeng Chinese Culture Group - Calligraphy and Paper Art

Sunday 31 August, 1:30-3:30pm
Te Awe Library

Acclaimed artists from Yafeng Chinese Culture Group (finalists in the Arts and Culture category at the Wellington Airport Community Awards) will be visiting Te Awe Library for a paper art demonstation.

Come along and immerse yourself in paper cutting, beautiful calligraphy and stunning paper quilling!

Chinese Wellingtonians: From Sojourners to Settlers

Thursday 4 September, 5:30-6:30pm
Te Awe Library

This fascinating talk explores the transformation of Chinese Wellingtonians’ identity from sojourners to permanent settlers. Historically, Chinese immigrants in Wellington — like many across New Zealand — maintained a mindset of luò yè guī gēn (落葉歸根, “fallen leaves return to the roots”), viewing their stay as temporary and their true home as elsewhere. Over generations, however, this narrative has shifted towards luò dì shēng gēn (落地生根, “take root where you land”), reflecting new forms of belonging, place-making, and cultural negotiation in Aotearoa.

Drawing on oral histories, community archives, and contemporary perspectives, this talk highlights how local Chinese communities have navigated changing migration policies, intergenerational expectations, and bicultural frameworks to forge a distinctive identity as Chinese Wellingtonians — simultaneously connected to ancestral heritage and deeply embedded in the city’s social and cultural fabric.

Presenter Biography

Professor Bo Zhiyue is a leading authority on Chinese elite politics globally and is the Founder and President of the Bo Zhiyue China Institute. He has taught at universities around the world including Peking University, the University of Chicago, American University, the National University of Singapore, and Victoria University of Wellington.

Professor Bo holds a Bachelor of Law and Master of Law in International Politics from Peking University, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Professor Bo has published more than 400 book chapters and articles on a variety of topics, as well as 16 books and monographs. Beyond his academic work, Professor Bo is an accomplished artist, a health columnist, a pianist, and a vocalist.