Opening ceremony of Confucius Institute at University of Mauritius - 14th December 2016

Events - 2016 14 December 2016

Honorable (Mrs) Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research was present for the opening ceremony of the Confucius Institute at the University of Mauritius.

Mr Wu Fengmin, Professor and Chairman of the Council of ZSTU and Mrs. Mohee, Professor and Vice Chancellor of UoM, were also present at the opening ceremony. A delegation of students from ZSTU presented traditional Chinese dancing and a show to an audience of about 400 guests.

Mr Wu Fengmin and Mrs. Mohee delivered their speeches respectively, stating that the establishment of Confucius Institute symbolizes the friendship between the two countries and wish that the Confucius Institute serves as a platform to promote cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries.

H.E. Mr. Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, G.O.S.K., Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, addressing the audience at the opening ceremony of the CI-UoM. He highly commends Confucius, a great philosopher, and said that the establishment of the CI further promotes the Mandarin language and the dissemination of Chinese culture on the island.

H.E. Mr. Li Li, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the CI-UoM. He said that it has taken great efforts to have a Confucius Institute at the University of Mauritius. He firmly believes that the Confucius Institute will operate well and successfully.

The Honourable Mrs Leela Devi Dookun Lutchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research welcoming the Mr Wu Fengmin, Professor and Chairman of ZSTU

Unveiling the Plaque of the Opening Ceremony of the Confucius Institute at the University of Mauritius, from left to right; Associate Professor Tan Xudong, Chinese Director of CI-UoM; Mrs. Mohee, Professor and Vice Chancellor of UoM, C.S.K.; H.E. Mr. Li Li, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China; H.E. Mr. Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, G.O.S.K.; Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Wu Fengmin, Professor and Chairman of the Council of ZSTU; and Dr Louis Jean Claude Autrey, Chancellor of the UoM, C.S.K

Associate Professor Tan Xudong, Chinese Director of CI-UoM reading out the congratulation letter on behalf of the Headquarters of Confucius Institute (Hanban), Beijing.

Traditional Cultural Dances; c Song and Dance by students of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, ZSTU.

Traditional Cultural Dances; c Song and Dance by students of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, ZSTU.

Students of ZSTU playing “Wéiqí” which is a strategy board game in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent. The game was invented in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago, and is believed to be the oldest board game still being played today. It was considered one of the four essential arts of the cultured aristocratic Chinese scholar caste in antiquity. The other three main academic and artistic accomplishments required of the aristocratic ancient Chinese scholar-gentleman caste were: qín (the guqín, a stringed instrument. 琴), shū (Chinese calligraphy 書) and huà (Chinese painting 畫).

A demonstration of “Wǔshù” by students of ZSTU. Wǔshù is a martial art derived from traditional Chinese martial arts.
It was developed in China fairly recently, after 1949, in an effort to standardize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.
The term wǔshù is Chinese for "martial arts"; 武 wǔ = military or martial, 术 shù = art