20260626 The Confucius Institute in Sofia Held a Concert Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary

On 26 June, the Confucius Institute in Sofia held a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of its establishment. Among the distinguished guests were Dai Qingli, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria, and Yang Tian, Head of the Embassy's Education Affairs Office; Eleonora Lilova, Director of the Sofia Regional Department of Education of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science; Angel Apostolov, Senior Expert in the Ministry's Directorate for International Cooperation; Kalin Mutavchiev, Chief Expert in the Directorate for Science and Coordinator for China Affairs; Madlen Danova, Vice Rector of Sofia University; Roumiana Preshlenova, Director of the Institute of Balkan Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Radoslav Tsonev, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at South-West University "Neofit Rilski"; Ge Lina, Director of the China Cultural Center in Sofia; Iskra Mandova, Bulgarian Director, and Dong Yuanxing, Chinese Director, of the Confucius Institute at Veliko Tarnovo University; Snezhana Todorova, President of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists; Momchil Stanishev, Executive Director of the China–Central and Eastern European Countries Agricultural Cooperation Promotion Association; Chen Jian, Head of the Bulgaria Bureau of European Times; Wang Pujian, President of the Bulgaria–China Chamber of Commerce; Simona Angelova, Principal of French Language High School No. 9 in Sofia; Veselin Stefanov, Principal of Secondary School No. 51 in Sofia; Savina Rangelova-Ignatova, Principal of Primary School No. 6 in Sofia; Nako Stefanov, Honorary Bulgarian Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia; Aksiniya Koleva, Bulgarian Director, and Chen Ying, Chinese Director, of the Confucius Institute in Sofia. Approximately 200 guests attended the event, including principals, teachers, students, and parents from the Confucius Classrooms and teaching sites affiliated with the Confucius Institute in Sofia, members of the Chinese community and Chinese international students in Bulgaria, as well as representatives of partner institutions.

At the beginning of the event, the Chinese and Bulgarian Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia read congratulatory messages from Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, and Georgi Valchev, Minister of Education and Science of Bulgaria. In her message, President Yotova commended the Confucius Institute for its important role in promoting the Chinese language and culture and fostering intercultural dialogue. Minister Valchev praised the Institute's achievements over the past 20 years in advancing Chinese language education and promoting cultural and academic exchanges between China and Bulgaria. The Confucius Institute in Sofia also received congratulatory messages from the Sofia Regional Department of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria, the Municipality of Troyan, Sofia University, the University of Ruse, South-West University "Neofit Rilski", the Confucius Institute at Veliko Tarnovo University, Maksim Gorky Secondary School in Stara Zagora, Primary School No. 6 in Sofia, as well as other partner institutions and their leaders.

Vice Rector Madlen Danova of Sofia University began by reading a congratulatory letter from the University's Rector, Parvan Parvanov. In his message, Rector Parvanov praised the Confucius Institute in Sofia for the high reputation it has earned in Bulgarian society and for its positive contribution to academic exchanges between Chinese and Bulgarian universities. Vice Rector Danova noted that, having witnessed the Institute's development from its early years, she was well aware of the challenges it faced at the outset. She commended the Confucius Institute in Sofia for the remarkable achievements it has made over the past two decades.

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli congratulated the Confucius Institute in Sofia on its 20th anniversary and expressed her appreciation for the long-standing support that various sectors in Bulgaria have provided for the Institute's development. She commended the Confucius Institute in Sofia, the first Confucius Institute established in the Balkan region, for its important role in serving as a bridge for cultural exchange between China and Bulgaria and in fostering friendship among the younger generation of both countries. Ambassador Dai reaffirmed the Embassy's continued support for the Institute's high-quality development and expressed its commitment to working together with the Institute to further deepen educational and cultural exchanges between China and Bulgaria and carry forward the longstanding friendship between the two peoples.

The Chinese and Bulgarian Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia reviewed the Institute's development over the past two decades, highlighting its remarkable achievements through a series of key statistics. These included the number of students served, the expansion of its teaching network, the development of academic programs, and its research accomplishments. They expressed their sincere gratitude to Sofia University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bulgaria, as well as to all former members of the Confucius Institute team, its affiliated teaching centers, and its long-standing partners for their continuous support over the years. Looking ahead, they reaffirmed the Institute's commitment to further promoting educational, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between China and Bulgaria across a wide range of fields.

Bulgarian students learning Chinese from Sofia, Stara Zagora, Blagoevgrad, and other cities, Chinese international students who had studied in China, and Bulgarian musicians took part in the performances. The program featured the erhu, harp, and guqin, as well as Chinese folk dance, a Mamian skirt fashion show, Peking Opera, and Chinese and Bulgarian songs, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of both China and Bulgaria through music and performance. The concert was met with an enthusiastic response from the audience, with warm applause throughout the event.

To commemorate its 20th anniversary, the Confucius Institute in Sofia also organized the "China Through Bulgarian Eyes" Photography Competition, which showcased China from the perspectives of people in Bulgaria through a diverse collection of photographs. During the anniversary concert, the Chinese and Bulgarian Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia presented awards to the winners of the photography competition in recognition of their outstanding entries.
The Bulgaria–China Chamber of Commerce provided prize sponsorship for the China-themed Photography Competition held in celebration of the Confucius Institute's 20th anniversary. The Bulgarian Fashion Association provided costume support for the 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert of the Confucius Institute. The Mamian skirt featured in the fashion show was designed by Zhou Jin, President of the Shandong Fashion Design Association.

Xinhua News Agency and other media outlets covered the Confucius Institute's 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert.

Source: Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text: Ding Chen

Photos: Zhang Xiaorong

Reviewers: Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva

English translation: Dima Pironkova