Open Day – the Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton

On 10th October 2018, the open day for the Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton (CI soton) was a great success. The evening event as well as the Chinese cultural workshop both looked to promote interaction between China and the UK, in turn mutually supporting each other’s culture, together making our city a more richer and more colourful place.

Ying Zheng, Co-Director of CI Soton, gave a talk on the development history of the CI. The speech of Winnie Eley, the Vice-President (International) of the university, emphasized the important role of the CI in spreading Chinese culture and promoting Sino-British exchanges, and expressed the support for the work of CI Soton.

Yifan Wang, a new volunteer teacher, used Chinese classical instruments to interpret the music that was familiar to the British audience. Meanwhile, student representatives of the the University also took part; Francesca Mottram sang the Chinese pop song "Because of Love" and Bradley Alder introduced his experience of learning Chinese and his understanding of Chinese culture.

The event featured a host of stands, refreshing takes on activities, and at the same time gave people a more nuanced understanding of Chinese culture. For now, we are all eager to see the upcoming Mandarin for beginners and Chinese calligraphy evening classes get underway.