New Meaning in Spring Festival’s Garden Fete Sincere Sentiment and Earnest Friendship amid the Singings and Laughers
------Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza debuts at the 2017 Happy Spring Festival celebration

On the afternoon of Jan. 28th, local time, the People's Square of Rome was crowded with people coming and going. The 2017 Happy Spring Festival celebration and the Spring Festival’s Garden Fete held by Chinese Embassy in Italy were performing here. Tens of thousands of people including Virginia Raggi, Mayor of Rome, and H.E. Li Ruiyu, Chinese Ambassador to Italy and other guests from all walks of life watched the show.

Qian Qian, a Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza, and Filippo De Gennaro, a student from the Confucius Institute hosting the Happy Spring Festival performance

During the performance, Qian Qian, a Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza, and Filippo De Gennaro, a student from the Confucius Institute, were the hosts of the Happy Spring Festival performance. The Tai Chi Kungfu Fan performance brought by three teachers at the Confucius Constitute won warm applause from the audience. The parade consisting of the waist-drum team, acrobatic troupe, Kungfu troupe and teachers from the Confucius Constitute also attracted a lot of tourists to take pictures with them.

Local child writing “Fu” (a Chinese character for good fortune) with a Chinese writing brush at the “Good Fortune is Coming” stand

People writing New Year wishes in Chinese at the “Spring around the World” stand

At the garden fete, the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza carefully prepared a "Play Games, Win Lottery Tickets" activity. After collecting each of the green, red, yellow and blue lottery tickets, the participants can draw a lottery from the "Wishes Come True" booth for a New Year prize in the Confucius Institute. During the "Golden Rooster Heralds the Approach of Spring" activity, participants have to learn New Year wishes in Chinese and film it, and they can get a green lottery ticket when finished; during the "Good Fortune is Coming" activity, people need to write a Chinese character "Fu" with a writing brush to get a red lottery ticket; during the "Spring around the World" activity, the participants have to find their own Chinese name and learn to read it out loudly, and then write the names on the signature board to get a yellow lottery ticket; during the "Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg" shuttlecock kicking challenge, if one could kick the shuttlecock for ten times in a row, he or she can get a blue lottery ticket.

A Group photo of teachers of the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza and Roman citizens

Heavy crowd around the booth of the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza

Moreover, the Confucius Institute also organized diverse New Year culture experience activities, which attracted many people. Some people were rather interested in the display panel of Chinese Zodiac culture, and eagerly asked about their own Zodiac animal. Some people leafed through the Chinese-Italian edition of the magazine, The Confucius Institute.

“The Italian people are no longer just audience at the garden fete. Instead, they actively participate in experience activities, realizing interaction with traditional Chinese culture at zero distance”, said Zhang Hong, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at University of Rome La Sapienza.

Story by Yao Luning, Jia Hao Photos by Liu Qinghui, Yang Yan, Jia Hao