SIT management and staff gathered with Chinese students and local Chinese residents at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) on Wednesday morning to celebrate Chinese National Day with a flag-raising ceremony
Around 60 people including SIT Management with Duan Zhao (Chinese Community Representative), SIT staff, SIT students and Chinese living and working in Invercargill attended, to celebrate Chinese National Day. Marking the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949, it is celebrated on October 1st each year.
Whilst the flag-raising was cancelled at short notice due to poor weather, there was plenty on the programme that could be carried out indoors. SIT Chinese student, Luanjun who was MC, ran the morning’s programme, which included singing the Chinese national anthem, guest speeches, and a fun quiz with prizes.
SIT Operations Lead, Amanda Whitaker, said the day was a time of reflection, pride, and connection for Chinese people around the world.
She thanked SIT Chinese students, their families and the local Chinese community for choosing Southland and SIT for their study, work, and life. “You enrich our classrooms, our campuses, and our city with language, culture, and ambition.”
“We are immensely proud of our students’ achievements. Whether in IT, business, engineering, hospitality, creative media, or health, our learners—many of them from China—consistently excel in their studies. Their success reflects their talent and resilience, and the dedication of our teaching teams and support staff.”
Ms Whitaker commented on the work SIT is doing to strengthen education partnerships in China as they planned for the future, highlighting continued work with Hubei University of Education, as well as a number of other partnership initiatives. China remains one of SIT’s largest source countries for international learners with 77 Chinese students currently studying at SIT.
From 2026 onwards, Ms Whitaker said SIT looked forward to welcoming more Chinese students to Southland. “…we have a warm, safe, and supportive community here—tutors who believe in you, employers who value your skills, and neighbours who are ready to show you the very best of southern hospitality.”
The event concluded with an invitation to morning tea and moon cakes, the traditional Chinese accompaniment to the day.