Chinese New Year 2015

As the traditional Chinese New Year was approaching, the Confucius Institute at the University of Cyprus (CI at UCY) held a series of traditional Chinese arts performances between Feb.13 and 16, 2015, which received a warm welcome among the Cypriot Chinese and the Cypriots. The cast, consisting of six teachers in vocal music, dancing, martial arts and English departments of Beijing Institute of Education, presented a total of four performances for over 1,000 audiences in Nicosia, Larnaca and Pafos, Cyprus.

 The performances ran nearly the whole gamut of artistic styles, including singing, dancing, martial arts and so on. Among the songs presented, there were not only traditional folk songs such as “We Sing and We Dance” and “Jasmine Flower”, but also foreign ones such as “Toreador Song” and “Take Me to Your Heart”. In the dancing performance, there were “Happy New Year”, a popular rural folk dance, and “Book Rhythms”, which displays the charm of Chinese calligraphy. Besides, Taiji and Shaolin, representing the softness and hardness of martial arts, were staged in the performances as well.

 Spring Festival, the most important festival among Chinese, is believed to be the ideal time for introducing the Chinese culture to the world. Cultural communication plays an important role in the promotion of Chinese teaching as well as the development of bilateral relations. These four performances not only livened up the Spring Festival atmosphere for the Cypriot Chinese and the Cypriots, inspired locals’ interest in Chinese and its culture, but also lifted the publicity and spread the impact of CI at UCY. The mania of learning Chinese, thereafter, is expected to be roaring even higher.