On March 10, the Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales with invitation from the Bayside Council, participated in the second Eastlakes Multicultural Festival and brought unique experiences of Chinese culture to the residents.
At this year’s Multicultural Festival, Confucius Institute hosted a Calligraphy stall and a Traditional Chinese Clothing (Hanfu) Dress Up stall; both were fun interactive activities and greatly received by children and adults alike. The festival attracted about 3,000 local residents and there was a large amount of people who showed interest in the Confucius Institute booths.
Regardless of their age, whether they were primary school students or grandparents or working adults, everyone happily picked up a brush to learn more. Some wished to learn traditional Chinese characters while some members of the community even learnt to write their name in Chinese. This year’s Hanfu Dress Up stall was the most popular event. There was much excitement as the local residents picked out their favourite traditional Chinese costumes and took photos in front of the “Great Wall of China” background.
The Chinese Zither (Guzheng) teacher of the Confucius Institute also performed music for the audience from the main stage during the festival. The beautiful songs were a perfect accompaniment as everyone dressed up and took photos, and it really set the mood for both booths. Wandering locals stopped to appreciate the music and a crowd of spectators grew around the Confucius Institute stalls. The end of each song was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience. Many wished to learn about how the Zither worked and the Zither teacher happily taught several local residents how to play the traditional instrument.
Our friendly Big Panda mascot was also very popular and immediately attracted everyone’s attention, especially the children, who eagerly rushed around to take photos and give high-fives. The energetic Panda showed off its Tai Chi skills and danced with the locals. There was much laughter and entertainment provided by the Panda, especially when it sat down and was able to reach the eye level of other children.
Local events such as the Multicultural Festival and the Lunar New Year Festival shows the connection that Confucius Institute has towards the wider community, outside of the university. Confucius Institute at UNSW strives to elevate Chinese language learning and knowledge of Chinese culture through not only university students but to people of all ages and backgrounds.