On Tuesday 26th September 2023, Prof Fu Mingduan, the Chinese director of the CI-UoM, along with six teachers from the Confucius Institute, were invited to Lycee La Bourdonnais Secondary School to present a cultural experience event to the students with the theme of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The school's principal, Mrs. Corine Vetroff, Vice Principal Mrs. Nora Boukheroufa, and Chinese teacher Mrs. Linda Venkatasami also participated in the event. More than 500 students, teachers, parents and school personnel from Lycee La Bourdonnais got the chance to experience a rich and colorful array of traditional Chinese cultural activities.
(From left to right: Corine Vetroff, Principal of Lycee La Bourdonnais; Fu Mingduan, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Mauritius; Linda Venkatasami, Chinese Teacher of Lycee La Bourdonnais; Nora Boukheroufa, Vice Principal of Lycee La Bourdonnais)
In her opening address, Principal Corine Vetroff acknowledged the annual Chinese Language Day as a treasured tradition at Lycee La Bourdonnais. Each year, the school orchestrates unique events to showcase students' accomplishments in the realm of Chinese language learning. Fueled by years of dedication to Chinese language education, the school has nurtured numerous exceptional students. Regularly engaging in diverse cultural exchange activities, the collaboration with CI-UoM for this Mid-Autumn Festival cultural event is yet another milestone in this fruitful partnership. Principal Corine Vetroff expressed her heartfelt appreciation to CI-UoM for their support of the school's Chinese Language Day and anticipates future collaborations.
Director Fu Mingduan began her address by extending gratitude for the gracious invitation from Lycee La Bourdonnais School. She went on to illuminate the significance and symbolism of the Mid-Autumn Festival in traditional Chinese culture. Director Fu also congratulated the school for its students' remarkable achievements in the 2023 'Chinese Bridge' Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students, praising the school's dedication to Chinese language education. Director Fu articulated her hope that the cultural activities, which spotlighted Chinese traditions and were facilitated by teachers from the Confucius Institute at the University of Mauritius, would enable Lycee La Bourdonnais students and staff to truly appreciate the allure of Chinese culture and partake in the joys of cultural exchange through immersive experiences. She firmly believed that future collaborations between the Confucius Institute and Lycee La Bourdonnais would provide more opportunities to serve students' interests in Chinese language and culture.
Subsequently, teacher Yu Pengcheng from CI-UoM took center stage and, through an engaging multimedia presentation, explained the essence of the Mid-Autumn Festival. She delved into its origins, legendary tales, and traditional customs. Teacher Yu seamlessly intertwined relevant Chinese language instruction, delivering a captivating Chinese language lesson.
Teacher Yu Pengcheng's Explanation of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The event officially commenced with a cultural performance. Prof Zhang Kangfu and Miss Li Xiaoxia from CI-UoM showcased the art of Tai Chi, followed by students from Lycee La Bourdonnais who mesmerized the audience with splendid displays of traditional Chinese attire and captivating song-and-dance performances.
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The Cultural Performances
After the cultural performance, the eagerly awaited cultural experience activities took center stage. Six booths were set up on-site, offering immersive experiences in various facets of Chinese culture, including Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, tea art, Chinese fan painting, and mooncake making. Under the expert guidance of teachers from CI-UoM, participants eagerly participated in these activities, trying their hand at calligraphy, Chinese painting, paper cutting, tea ceremonies, mooncake crafting, fan painting, and adding illustrations.
The activities were rotated to ensure everyone had a chance to participate fully. Through these immersive experiences led by the teachers, both students and educators had the opportunity to deeply appreciate the allure of traditional Chinese culture. This experience enriched their understanding of the Chinese language, culture, and ethnic customs.
The event took place the whole day and thus students, teachers, and parents of Lycee La Bourdonnais have got the chance to experience all the activities. The venue was full with activities, creating a vibrant and engaging atmosphere.
The diverse and colorful traditional Chinese cultural experience activities significantly deepened everyone's understanding of the Chinese language and culture. It ignited a passion for learning Chinese and exploring Chinese culture. The event garnered unanimous acclaim from both students and teachers at Lycee La Bourdonnais School, with many expressing their eagerness to participate in similar cultural experience activities in the future.