- By Adele White, Howick Local Board
A celebratory event was held at Bell House at the Howick Historical Village on October 9 where Chinese guests spoke of the arrival of the first Chinese to the area and shared their own love of living in Howick.
Howick 175 ambassadors Ling Ling Liang and Vinson Chao Yu recently formed a committee to promote Howick’s 175th celebrations and to provide an understanding of local history and culture to the Chinese community.
Working with other committee members Kit Wong, Song Lam, Jennifer Liao and Annie Chiang, the duo has engaged local Chinese residents over recent weeks through sharing local stories and encouraging participation in art and poetry competitions.
The event programme included a Maori welcome, music from the NZ Multiculture Exchange and Experience Centre, and a duet from Lucia Gao and Oscar Wang before prizes were awarded to the competition winners.
Guests enjoyed a beautifully decorated Howick 175 cake which uniquely contained a kumara filling.
