January 25th marks Chinese New Year, and the beginning of the Year of the Mouse. Accordingly, Oxford University Chinese Society are putting on a heck of a shindig. Their New Year Festival (taking place on 1st Feb) with be an evening of festivities, mixing cultural performances with some fabulous food. On the menu will be dumplings, rice balls and bubble tea, whilst there will also be showcases of Chinese folk art, including sugar painting and Fu character writing. Everyone is welcome and the dress code will be black tie, with traditional Chinese clothing encouraged.

For those even more curious about Chinese art, the Ashmolean Museum will be hosting a talk (on 23rd Jan) exploring the history of the decorative nianhua. And if you're looking for a more long term activity to get involved with, why not learn some Chinese Dance, with Oxford Brookes' Confucius Institute, who are running a ten week course? Participants will learn a variety of Chinese folk dances from the Mongolian, Miao, Yi, Dai, and Han Chinese ethnic groups.