The Confucius Classroom At the 138th Secondary School Under the Confucius Institute In Sofia Have Organized a Lecture On the Art Of the Chinese Horn lamps

On 16th January 2024, the Confucius Classroom at the 138th Secondary School under the Confucius Institute in Sofia, have organised a lecture on the art of the Chinese horn lanterns. Mr Alexander Evtimov - the headmaster of the 138th Secondary School, Mrs Aksiniya Koleva – the Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Prof. Chen Ying – the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, and more than 30 students and teachers from the school have attended the event.
During the activity, Mr Zhang Fangquan - the last heir of a line of artisans and the last living goat horn artisan in China, has explained to the students the historical origin, the production method and the cultural value of this ancient craft, and has displayed his works on site. The students have also learned how to pronounce and how to write the Chinese characters for goat horn lanterns and have tried their hand at the creative design.
The goat horn lanterns date back to the Qing Dynasty and have been described in literary works such as A Dream In the Red Chamber. The eight-graders, who are new to the Confucius Classroom, have asked many questions about the lamps. Through this lecture, the students have learned that lamps could not only serve lightning and decorative purposes but could also be a legacy of traditional Chinese folk skills.

Confucius Institute In Sofia
Text: Liu Min
Photos: Liu Min
Editors: Prof. Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Chen Chen
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. The lecture hall.

Picture 2. A screenshot from the lecture.

Picture 3. A display of horn lanterns.

Picture 4. Learning the Chinese characters for sheep horn lanterns.

Picture 5. A group photo in the lecture hall.