September 26, 2015 was Confucius Institute Day, and the next day coincided with traditional Chinese Festival—Mid-autumn Festival. With the theme on Fragrant Tea and Full Moon, the Confucius Institute of Düsseldorf held several activities successively in different styles, celebrating Confucius Institute Day with local people from various circles.
Enjoying Chinese Tea, Zither and Paintings
On September 24, the Confucius Institute in Düsseldorf, together with BFSU and CUC Disheng Folk Culture Co. Ltd. (Beijing), invited a professional team to perform tea art, Chinese painting and music on a tea-ceremony-themed evening party held in the multi-function hall of the Confucius Institute. The professional team included Dr. Yuan Li, a research fellow of Chinese National Academy of Arts, Ms. Hou Xueyan, a professional tea specialist, Ms. Li Fan, a zither player of China Opera and Dance-Drama Theatre, and Mr. Zhang Junping, Vice Chairman of China Painting and Calligraphy Association. Emphasizing appreciation, experience and interaction, the performance was an ingenious combination of enjoyment of Chinese tea, zither, lectures and paintings. More than 50 visitors experienced the cultural uniqueness of Chinese tea while appreciating the melodious zither music and the elegant painting and calligraphy performance. With the final interactive session of quick-answer and the writing of Chinese character “Tea” together, atmosphere of that evening culminated to a climax.
On September 25, middle school students from the Confucius Institute just finished a book. After class, they held a small long-premeditated celebration with their teachers: some brought self-baked moon cakes; some excitedly recalled their summer camp in Beijing in July while watching relevant videos; some happily showed their recently-received certificates of HSK I; and still others sang Chinese songs. What’s more, students, coordinated with their teachers, drew a painting titled “May we all be blessed with longevity. Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.” By combining Western and Chinese “painting techniques”. They gave the work to the Confucius Institute as a gift for the celebration of the Mid-autumn Festival, of the Confucius Institute Day, and of the progress they’ve made in Chinese learning.
On the evening of September 27, Hetjens-Museum, located in the old town of Düsseldorf, decorated the hall with red lanterns and long kites, which added radiance to the full moon outside. Ms. Klaudia Zepuntke, Deputy Mayor of Düsseldorf, and Ms. Tao Lili, China’s Deputy Consul-general in Düsseldorf, by drawing eyes of the painted lions together, announced the beginning of the evening party “Bright Moon on Mid-autumn”. Dr. Cord Eberspächer, German Director of the Confucius Institute, and Ms. Daniela Antonin, curator of Hetjens-Museum, presided over the evening party, at which there were a succession of wonderful Chinese-characteristic performances such as Gu Qin, Tai Chi, Kungfu, acrobatics, songs and dances. The guests ate moon cakes while appreciating performances. They could also visited the special exhibition “From Kangxi Times[1]to Modern China” (held by the museum under the assistance of the Confucius Institute), enjoying a wonderful evening full of oriental charms.
[1]Emperor of Qing Dynasty who reigned over China from 1654 to 1722.
