Stockholm Confucius Institute Principal Torbjorn Loden, Chinese Embassy Education Counselor Zhang Ning, and Vice President of Beijing Normal University Hao Fanghua (middle with red scarf) have a photo together with the student artists from Beijing Normal University and various schools in Stockholm. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com/Chen Xuefei]
By Chen Xuefei, CRI's correspondent in Stockholm
Stockholm Confucius Institute and the Chinese Embassy in Sweden have jointly held a grand concert to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in the Stockholm Cultural House.
Principal of Confucius Institute Torbjorn Loden and Zhang Ning, Counselor of Education at the Chinese Embassy, welcomed the art troupe from Beijing Normal University and expressed best wishes to the audience in the Year of the Rabbit.
20 art students and five teachers from the art department of Beijing Normal University gave an excellent performance to an audience of about 1,000 Swedish students and parents who are related to Chinese language study or just interested in Chinese culture.
During the two hour performance, the student artists performed dances from different ethnic groups including Korean, Mongolian and Tibetan, in China. They also played the Pipa instrument, the drums, and also performed Taichi and Kungfu.
Swedish students who won prizes in the Chinese Bridge competition also participated in the concert.
During the performance, Jia Fang, professor of Chinese folklore at Beijing Normal University, also introduced the customs of the Spring Festival in China and explained why they are so important to the Chinese people.
She said that Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese. When the Lunar New Year comes, all the relatives in the family, no matter how far away from home, will come home to reunite.
It is also a festival when people express good wishes for the New Year.
The excellent performances won warm applause from the Swedish students and parents. |
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