The Confucius Classroom At the Burgas English Language School Under the Confucius Institute In Sofia Have Conducted a Chinese New Year Celebration

On 1st February 2025, the Confucius Classroom at the Burgas English Language School under the Confucius Institute in Sofia, have held a Chinese New Year celebration at the Cultural Centre of the city of Burgas. The school's headmistress - Mrs Zhaklin Neycheva, the three vice-headmasters - Mrs Sonya Bachvarova, Mrs Krasimira Miteva and Mr Bozhidar Goranov, as well as the directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia - Mrs Aksya Koleva and Prof. Chen Ying, have been present at the event. Moreover, many teachers and students of the Confucius Institute and numerous local people - almost 500, have attended the event.

The celebration has comprised of both workshops and cultural performances. The workshops featured a number of booths, including calligraphy, shuttlecock, lantern making and Chinese hairdressing booths, where local people stopped at to experience the arts. Many people have picked up brushes to write Chinese characters attracting good fortune, and have tried their hand at making lanterns. The shuttlecock game has attracted a lot of children and has created a lively and enjoyable atmosphere. The Confucius Classroom have also prepared special handicrafts intended for gifts, including fans and Chinese knots, so as to share the blessings of the Chinese New Year with the local people.

The Confucius Classroom teachers and students have given a wonderful cultural performance by opening the event with a lion dance and by performing Chinese songs, poetry recitations, a Chinese fan dance, martial arts demonstrations of strength and flexibility, as well as a catwalk show of traditional Chinese costumes such as hanboks and cheongsams.
This event has been the first occasion of a large-scale Chinese New Year celebration to be organised in the city of Burgas. Since the time when the Burgas English language School has acquired a Confucius Classroom under the Confucius Institute in Sofia in March 2024, it has insisted on taking root in the local area and serving the local community by providing quality Chinese language courses, while at the same time going out of the classroom to organise rich and colourful cultural activities which have become an important source for the local people to learn about the Chinese language and culture.

Confucius Institute In Sofia
Text: Chen Chan
Photos: Li Yan, Nikolai Radanov
Editors: Prof. Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Chen Chen
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. Handmade lanterns.

Picture 2. A special handicrafts booth

Picture 3. A lion dance.

Picture 4. Singing Chinese songs.

Picture 5. A poetry recitation.

Picture 6. A fan dance.

Picture 7. Martial arts performance.

Picture 8. Traditional costume show.