Celebrating UN Chinese Language Day In NZCLW Buildup

Apr 20, 2026

Today’s celebration of Chinese Language Day is a good time to remind people that New Zealand Chinese Language Week is early this year. New Zealand Chinese Language Week will run from June 29 to July 5 2026.

NZCLW Trust chair Jo Coughlan says the last week of the second school term is a less crowded environment than the last week of the third school term. Holding the week earlier will avoid some clashes with school activities.

“NZCLW has become a fixture in the calendar now, and there are a lot of activities planned around the country to celebrate and encourage the learning of Chinese language.”

Information about New Zealand Chinese Language Week can be found at: www.nzclw.com

United Nations Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20 to celebrate the cultural and historical impact of the Chinese language, one of the six official UN languages.

The date was chosen to honor Cangjie, an ancient historian who created Chinese characters, with the date coinciding with the "Grain Rain" (Guyu) solar term.

Language Days at the United Nations seek to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization. Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each dedicated to one of the Organization's six official languages.

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