Xi'an college denies claims it banned campus Christmas parties

A university in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has refuted claims it tried to cancel Christmas festivities on campus.

The Modern College of Northwest University had allegedly said that students should "affirmatively oppose Western festivals," and promote traditional Chinese culture instead, according to a post from a student on Sina Weibo Tuesday, which said that the college had banned Christmas celebrations for several years.

A notice from the college on Monday said that students should celebrate the birth of a true saint like Confucius (551-479 BC), rather than a Western God, and should oppose Western festivals and make efforts for the rejuvenation of China, according to the post. This was deleted by Tuesday afternoon.

A teacher from the university denied the claims made in the Weibo post.

"We've never published a notice like that," said a teacher surnamed Shi, who works in the school's administrative office. He said that students are forbidden to leave the campus for celebration "out of security concerns." However, the college has organized activities for Christmas Eve, including movie-watching and commemorative activities to honor the late Chairman Mao Zedong.

"Everyone is called on to participate in activities organized by the student union and other student bodies," Shi said.

A student surnamed Zhang told the Global Times that they had watched patriotic videos and Confucius-related films for nearly three hours in a classroom on Christmas Eve.

Students do not feel like participating in such activities and the school did not explain why, Zhang said.

She added that the school would not allow any signs of Christmas on the campus.