The Confucius Institute at the University of Guadalajara held a Chinese New Year celebration on 10 February, with the theme of "Good Luck to the Year of the Dragon", which consisted of a cultural performance and an exhibition of Chinese traditional culture. Gloria López, Academic Secretary of the University of Cienega, Michoacán, and more than 30 students were invited to attend the event. In addition to the students, more than 350 guests from the local community and Chinese compatriots celebrated the New Year with the Confucius Institute faculty, which was the largest number of participants ever since the establishment of the Confucius Institute.
Foreign Director Edwin Bello and Chinese Director Wei Shuhua delivered welcome speeches, reviewing the fruitful achievements of the Confucius Institute in the past year, introducing the origins and customs of the Chinese New Year, vividly explaining the image of the dragon and its symbolism, and sending warm New Year greetings to the audience. Gloria López shared the history of cooperation with the Confucius Institute in setting up Chinese language classes, congratulated the Confucius Institute for its achievements over the past year, and expressed her strong support for the continued cooperation with the Confucius Institute. Afterwards, the two directors presented prizes and certificates to the students who got prizes in the Chinese Bridge 2023 Painting and Calligraphy Competition.
In the cultural performance, the local lion dance team and the shows of teachers and students of the Confucius Institute left a deep impression on the audience. The song "Joyful Chinese New Year" brought by the high school students who participated in the Winter Camp of BCU in 2023 and the wonderful dances performed by the volunteer teachers both allowed the audience to appreciate the wonderful performance of the members of the Confucius Institute; in addition to the songs and dances, the performance of Taichi brought by the teachers of the Confucius Institute and the Guzheng performance by a local Chinese six-year-old girl also made the Mexican audience quite impressed. At the end of the performance, the audience stood up and applauded, and the atmosphere reached a climax.
The Chinese New Year event then moved on to the second part, where the audience experienced the traditional culture outside the venue. The Confucius Institute had planned and prepared a number of activities, such as paper-cutting, calligraphy writing and Hanfu experience. On the other side of the room, in the traditional games area, the local people experienced activities such as kung fu, shuttlecock and pot throwing. The Confucius Institute prepared a piñata toy in the shape of a dragon's head, which endowed the activity with the elements of both Chinese and Mexican cultures.
The holding of this Chinese New Year celebration opened another window for the Mexican people to understand China, and also provided an opportunity for people from all walks of life who participated in the event to experience Chinese culture closely and personally. The event not only gathered people together, but also was an in-depth cultural exchange, which built a solid bridge for the friendship between China and Mexico.
