When I heard that the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall was having a Winter Solstice event, I just expected that several of their participating member associations would set up some decorated stalls, and there would be tang yuan to sample. When I arrived there ( lugging pots, pans, tang yuan, sweet ginger soup, decorative knick-knacks, bowls, and plates ), I was shocked to find the main hall conquered droves of school children. Turns out that the major event for the day was "Zhang Yuan : 19th Assessment of Classics Recitation". Zhang yuan translates to scholar, and the event mirrors the public examinations of ancient China. They even had a giant banner of Confucious up on stage. Some very young kids were also taking part. They clung to their mothers, and they would whisper recitations of Chinese classics into the ears of examiners ( recognizable from their bright vests ). A voting was supposed to take place for the best decorated stall and most delicious