Confucius Institute at University of Lisbon Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

From April 12th to 13th, local time, the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon in Portugal held a series of celebrations for its tenth anniversary.

The celebration kicked off with a ten-year achievement exhibition on the morning of April 12th. Nearly 400 pictures were carefully selected for the photo exhibition, which introduced to the local people the achievements made by the Confucius Institute in the past ten years in terms of Chinese language teaching, cultural promotion as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, leaving a deep impression on visitors.

In the afternoon, the Confucius Institute invited Chen Fachun, President of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, and Professor Xu Li to respectively give lectures on Chinese culture to teachers and students of the University and community members.

In the lecture on “China’s Filial Piety”, Chen Fachun quoted and cited extensively from ancient to modern times. He discussed both the concepts of loyalty and filial piety in the philosophy of Confucius and the expressive ways of modern filial piety. In the interactive session, the audience actively asked questions and Chen Fachun’s on spot answers gained waves of applause. Meanwhile, Xu Li expounded relevant knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine and also performed massage, acupuncture and cupping for the audience on the spot, arising their interest.

Chen Fachun giving a lecture

Professor Xu Li teaching the traditional Chinese medicine

On April 13th, the celebration ceremony of the tenth anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon was held at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the university. Distinguished guests included Costa, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Education of Portugal, António Manuel da Cruz Serra, President of the University of Lisbon, Vice President Jo?o Manuel Pardal Barreiros, Cai Run, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Chen Fachun, President of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Cai Wenxian, President of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and others. More than 300 people attended the celebrations, including Presidents of three other Confucius Institutes in Portugal, teachers and students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon, and people from all walks of life.

Zhao Guocheng, Deputy Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters and Deputy Director-General of Hanban sent a congratulatory letter and expressed his warm congratulations on the occasion. He iterated his sincere gratitude to those from all walks of life who have supported the establishment of the Confucius Institute and have been committed to the friendship between China and Portugal. In the congratulatory letter, he pointed out that the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon has achieved remarkable results in the past decade and has become an important platform for the local people to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture. It has also played an active role in the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Portugal. He believed that the future of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon will be even better through the concerted efforts of both China and Portugal.

Jo?o delivered a welcome speech for the event and extended his sincere welcome to the distinguished guests present. He said that the ten-year development of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon has been the accumulation of successful experience, and the fruits shall be attributed to the efforts of all teaching staff. The cooperation between Portugal and China has been the cornerstone of the success of the Confucius Institute. He believed that with the close cooperation between the two parties, the Confucius Institute team will demonstrate absolute confidence in facing more challenges in the future.

Jo?o delivering a welcome speech

In her speech, Costa stated that the establishment of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon for ten years has not only consolidated the friendship between Portugal and China, but also deepened the cooperation and exchanges between the two countries in the fields of education and culture. The achievements have been remarkable and conspicuous to all. The Ministry of Education of Portugal will, as always, support the plans for the promotion of Portuguese and Chinese as well as various other activities.

Costa giving a speech

Cai Run expressed in his speech that in the past decade, the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon has been working hard to develop and actively forge ahead. It has trained a large number of talented Chinese talents for Portugal, making some important contributions in promoting Chinese language teaching and Chinese culture, advancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Portugal and pushing forward the development of China-Portugal relations.

Cai Run making a speech

In Chen Fachun’s speech, he fully affirmed the achievements of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon since its establishment 10 years ago. He pointed out that the Confucius Institute has become the main platform for citizens of Lisbon to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture, and is an important base for China-Portugal cultural exchanges. He extended his thanks to the support of the two governments, the sincere cooperation between the two universities, and the hard work of all Faculty members in the Confucius Institute over the past decade. After the speech, Chen Fachun also presented Chinese books to the Confucius Institute on behalf of Tianjin Foreign Studies University.

Chen Fachun delivering a speech

At the ceremony, the Confucius Institute announced the official establishment of the “Center for Chinese Studies” and was unveiled jointly by Chen Fachun and Tamen, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, which has provided a new platform for Confucius Institutes to conduct research on China’s issues.

Center for Chinese Studies unveiled

Students of Confucius Classroom at Colegio de Santo Tomás singing Chinese songs

Chinese and foreign students ensemble “Chrysanthemum Terrace”

Folk songs ensemble “Xi Yang Yang”

Martial art performance “Chinese Soul”

The performers

At last, the Student Art Troupe of Tianjin Foreign Studies University and students of the Confucius Institute collaborated to present a wonderful cultural performance. Those art performances all won warm applause from the audience, such as the choir “Chong Er Fei” performed by primary school students of the Confucius Classroom at Colegio de Santo Tomás, the folk songs ensemble “Xi Yang Yang” performed by the Student Art Troupe of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, the martial arts performance “Chinese Soul”, an opera selection “The Drunken Concubine”, the low-tune bass and guzheng ensemble “Evening Sing in the Fisher Boat” and others.