In order to enrich the leisure time of cadres and members and create a festive, harmonious atmosphere, the Institute Union organized a number of traditional mass-participation events in celebration of the Chinese New Year.
The annual tug-of-war was one of the highlights of the celebration. On the morning of February 1, teams of various entities were warming up at the venue, ready to fight whichever was drawn from the lots. Winners of the first-round knockout kicked off round-robins to decide the Top Four, among which Planning Department and Architectural Design No.1 Department tugged their way through the semi-final. Amid cheers, chants and sweat, Planning Department took the cake, while Architectural Design No.1 Department and Caofeidian Sub-institute finished second and third. The matches were conducive not only to physical fitness, but also to team synergies, inter-departmental communications and Institute-wide cohesiveness.
Compared with the thrilling tug-of-war, riddle games went on in a pent-up, yet tense, vibe. The hundreds of colorful riddles - based on historical facts, daily life, social phenomena or buzzwords, be they written on lanterns or not - were a combination of knowledge and fun. Players were brooding, muttering, and racking their brains for an answer; those who exclaimed “Eureka” would lap up New Year gifts from the Union. The games carried forward traditional Chinese culture, ignited the thirst for knowledge and interest in learning, relieved stress at work, and added to a strong festive atmosphere.