MSc TIP Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 | Tossing Up Prosperity, Roaring in the Year of the Horse

Written by: Kang Jiayao (MSc TIP AY25-26)

For many international students, the Lunar New Year is usually spent staring at a screen, catching snippets of reunion dinners through a video call. But this year, NTUpreneur transformed a regular Tuesday lunch into a vibrant, high-spirited prelude to the Year of the Horse. With festive decorations brightening the foyer and the rhythmic beat of drums in the air, the MSc TIP community came together to celebrate, not just a festival, but our growing family away from home.

As the Chinese saying goes, “A hundred blessings gather where there is laughter.” And laughter there was, in abundance.

Words of Wisdom: Welcoming the Year of the Horse

To kick off the festivities, the NTUpreneur leadership team took the opportunity to extend their heartfelt Lunar New Year blessings to the cohort. Deputy Directors Ms Faith Teh and Dr Xia Zhiqiang wished students a year of courage, clarity, and continued growth in both their academic and entrepreneurial journeys.

Drawing on the symbolism of the Year of the Horse, they encouraged students to move forward with resilience and determination, taking bold strides in their ventures while supporting one another along the way. Success is built not only on individual ambition, but on shared energy and collective momentum.

Their well-wishes were met with warm smiles and nods, a reminder that, beyond innovation and enterprise, the strength of MSc TIP lies in its people and the community they build together.

Ms Faith Teh and Dr Xia Zhiqiang deliver Lunar New Year blessings.

Lohei: Tossing for Good Fortune and Prosperity

The celebration continued with the loud, joyful ritual of lohei,  the traditional prosperity toss. Around each table, our students and NTUpreneur staff assembled colourful platters, layered with colourful ingredients: shredded carrots for “good luck”, white radish for “prosperity”, crushed peanuts for “wealth”, golden crackers for “gold”, and a generous drizzle of plum sauce for “sweet relationships”. each ingredient symbolising abundance, prosperity, and harmony.

As blessings were called out in unison, chopsticks rose, and voices joined in a collective “Huat ah!” Laughter filled the room as ingredients were tossed high, a spirited gesture of hope for the year ahead.

The ritual brought together students from diverse backgrounds in a distinctly local tradition, reinforcing both cultural exchange and community participation.

Tossing for good fortune and prosperity!

A Shared Table, A Shared Journey 

With appetites lifted by the spirited lohei, the buffet line soon became the heart of the celebration, offering crispy fried fish, braised chicken in soy sauce, glutinous rice dumplings, spring rolls, and stir-fried noodles, with familiar flavours of reunion, ensuring everyone could partake in the feast.

Beyond the food, the afternoon was about connection. Students passed dishes across tables, continued conversations started in class and discovered shared interests beyond venture discussions. Around the table, laughter flowed easily.

Students from China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and beyond gathered side by side, exchanging stories of home and startup ambitions alike.

Amid academic intensity and venture-building, the gathering offered a welcome pause and a simple reminder that the strength of MSc TIP lies not only in innovation, but in the relationships that sustain it.

Our students and staff enjoy a delicious spread of local delights.

Lucky Draw: Cheers and Surprises

No festive gathering is complete without a touch of anticipation. With ten prizes up for grabs, ranging from portable speakers to shopping vouchers, the lucky draw added an extra spark of excitement to the afternoon.

As each number was called, pockets of tables erupted in cheers. Winners threw their arms up; neighbours clapped them on the back. When the first prize was announced, the room held its breath, then burst into applause as Nadhif from MSc TIP made his way to the stage, grinning from ear to ear. When asked about his good fortune, he joked that it must have been his red shirt, a fitting nod to Lunar New Year tradition.

The moment captured the light-hearted joy of the celebration and the abundant camaraderie.

Prizes galore as we usher in the year of the horse!

Lion Dance: A Spectacular Finale!

The afternoon culminated in the vibrant rhythms of drums and cymbals as two lions made their entrance into the foyer. One carried a bold, commanding presence, while the other engaged the audience with playful charm, moving through the crowd and drawing smiles from students and staff alike. The performance brought the community together in shared anticipation and delight.

The God of Fortune soon followed, dressed in auspicious gold and red, distributing sweets to enthusiastic cheers, a symbolic gesture of blessings and prosperity for the year ahead.

In the finale, the lions performed the traditional cai qing ritual, leaping towards hanging lettuce and oranges before scattering the greens into the audience. The act symbolised the spreading of good fortune and abundance and was met with applause and laughter, a fitting and auspicious close to the celebration.

Moving Forward Together

As the celebration drew to a close, students lingered for photographs and conversations. What began as a festive lunch became something deeper, a reaffirmation of the bonds that shape the MSc TIP journey.

At NTUpreneur, celebrations are more than cultural milestones; they are reminders that innovation flourishes within a strong and supportive community.

Though many were far from their own families’ reunion tables, the sunlit foyer — filled with festive cheer and familiar laughter- felt unmistakably like home.

Here’s to a year of momentum, courage, and continued growth for the MSc TIP community.

NTU Entrepreneurship Academy reserves the right in its sole discretion to make modification or cancellation to the above-mentioned.