On March 15, the Confucius Institute at the University of Guadalajara organized the second Chinese culture lecture of this semester with the theme of “Swallow Kites: Let Dreams and Hopes Fly”. The lecture was given by Zhao Tong, a teacher of the Confucius Institute, and attracted nearly 30 students of the Confucius Institute and students of the high schools affiliated to the University of Guadalajara.
The lecture was divided into three parts: the origin and use of kites, the introduction of Swallow Kites, and the activities of designing personalized kites. Zhao Tong started with the origin of the name of the kite, and introduced the origin and development of the traditional Chinese kites in detail, which made the students have a preliminary understanding of the Chinese kites.
Zhao Tong explained the four different types of Swallow Kites and their symbolism. Each type of kite has its own unique pattern, mostly bats, longevity peaches, peonies, butterflies, fish and other auspicious symbolism. These patterns are not only widely used in the Swallow Kites, but also can be seen in many traditional Chinese buildings and handicrafts, and through the kite pictures, Zhao Tong showed students several classic traditional Swallow Kites full of symbolism, which gave students a deeper understanding of the traditional Chinese patterns.
With spring flowers blooming, it is a good time to fly kites. Ms Zhao also introduced the upcoming Weifang International Kite Festival, which allowed the students to experience the development and evolution of modern Chinese kites, and to gain a deeper understanding of the influence of Chinese kites in the international arena.
During the activity session, students actively participated in designing their own Swallow Kites by applying what they have learned on class. The activity had a warm atmosphere, students were full of enthusiasm and expressed their hopes for a better future through their painting kites. Upon completion, the students shared with each other their kite designs as well as their hopes and wishes implied by the kites.
Through this activity, the students have more deeply realized the charm of traditional Chinese kites, and have also developed a stronger interest in and yearning for traditional Chinese culture. This semester, the Confucius Institute will continue to organize more exciting cultural activities, and we look forward to meeting more friends who love Chinese culture in the future, and exploring, sharing and passing on the rich connotation of Chinese culture together.
