On February 28th, the San Marino Confucius Institute held a vibrant cultural event “Lantern Festival: Welcoming Spring and Good Fortune”, in which Alessandro Bevitori, Minister of Labor of San Marino, gave a speech and experienced Chinese New Year culture, and Barbara terrenzi, Chairman of the San Marino-China Friendship Association also showed up to celebrate the event, with over 30 teachers and students from the university and high schools.
The event started with a engaging lecture on the culture background of the Lantern Festival, which fascinated the guests with the origin and its various ways of celebrating. Maddalena, one of the attendees, expressed that she was impressed by the way Chinese people use the festival to express love for families and friends, and social harmony, and that she gained a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of Chinese culture. For following activities, everyone participated in experiencing calligraphy and paper-cutting craft by cutting “春” (spring) character, and making lanterns in excitement, filling the venue with festive decorations and joyful laughter. The Tai Chi session, accompanied by the melodies from guzheng instrument, made the highlight of the event, allowing participants to feel the depth of traditional Chinese culture in harmony and tranquility. Another participant, Elena said, “I knew little about Chinese culture before today, and this experience touched my heart”.
Year 2025 is not only the Lunar New Year of Snake, but also marks the first Lunar New Year since China’s Spring Festival was included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The San Marino Confucius Institute has elaborately planned a series of celebratory activities, including “Making Jiaozi for Chinese New Year”, and “Lantern Festival: Welcoming Spring and Good Fortune”, hoping to bridge between East and West through rich cultural experiences.
Alessandro Bevitori, the Minister of Labor of San Marino, said that this activity made him feel the richness and colorfulness of Chinese culture and its unique appeal, and that the San Marino government highly recognizes Confucius Institute’s role in culture promotion, appreciates all kinds of activities held by the Institute and looks forward for more opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation in the future.
