The Confucius Classroom at No. 18 High School Affiliated with the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Held a “Chinese Zodiac Paper-Cutting” Workshop

On November 7, the Confucius Classroom at No. 18 “William Gladstone” High School, affiliated with the Confucius Institute in Sofia, held a “Chinese Zodiac Paper-Cutting” workshop. More than 30 participants, including Chinese government-sponsored teachers, local Chinese language teachers and eighth-grade students from the Confucius Classroom, took part in the event.

During the activity, the teachers explained to the students the historical origins, order, and fable stories behind the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, helping them better understand this traditional cultural symbol. The workshop then combined zodiac culture with the art of paper-cutting, guiding students to create their own personalized paper-cutting works. During the practical session, teachers demonstrated paper-cutting techniques and encouraged students to design pieces based on their own zodiac signs.

After the event, a selection of paper-cutting works was featured in a special exhibition at the school. The display attracted many students, who stopped to admire the artworks and enthusiastically searched for their own zodiac animals, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere. One participating student said, “I not only learned about my own zodiac sign, but also found Chinese paper-cutting very interesting.”

This event focused on Chinese zodiac culture and used traditional paper-cutting as a medium. By combining knowledge-sharing, hands-on practice, and exhibition of the students’ works, it allowed more Bulgarian students to gain a direct understanding of the cultural significance of the Chinese zodiac and traditional paper-cutting. In the future, the Confucius Classroom will continue to offer a series of cultural workshops, providing students with immersive experiences of Chinese traditional culture.

Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text: Zhang Kaiyue, Latchezara Pravtcheva

Photos: Zhang Kaiyue

Editors: Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Ding Chen, Chen Chen

English translation: Dima Pironkova