The 7th 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing 2021 Kick Start
The 7th 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing began on the 23rd March 2021. A total of 244 students from Mellons Bay School with 60 teachers and parents participated in the Festival at the Temple. They were greeted warmly by volunteers and BLIA members upon their arrival.
The 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing first started on 2014. There were over 10 thousand students who participated in the Festival in the past 6 years at the Auckland and Christchurch Temple. This educational project has been well received by the community with great support from the New Zealand Police. This year, 6200 students from 19 schools have registered for the educational program.
The message of Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings (3G4G) was delivered through the 2 hours educational activities which includes striking the wishing bell, making lotus origami and interactive activities in the Prince Siddhartha Exhibition. In the Prince Siddhartha Exhibition, the students watched the ‘Life of Buddha’ movie and vowed to take care of everyone around them just like how the Buddha helped Anaruddha to sew his clothes. One student learned that life is short so everyone should respect and love each other. Students also shared that we should treat people equally and to not look down on others. Besides, the Temple has also specially prepared Laba Congee as refreshment for the students. Furthermore, The New Zealand Police Senior Constable Matt Green, Constable Piho Tuaiti, and Constable Paul Zhao had a great time during their interaction session with the students. The students were given the 3G4G puzzle as a gift to remember the message of 3G4G.
One parent shared that she has always wanted to visit the Temple, hence she was so excited and could not wait to sign up to participate with her daughter when she found out about the Festival from school. She appreciated the Temple for organising such meaningful activities for the students.
Mr Paul Harder, the Deputy Principal of Mellons Bay School shared that the 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing was fabulous. The program is very well organised and full of educational value. By practicing doing good deeds, saying good words and thinking good thoughts, the students can definitely bring positive impact to the society.