The Confucius Classroom At the University Of Plovdiv Under the Confucius Institute In Sofia Have Hosted a Chinese Song And Dance Festival

On 23rd April 2025, at the Folklore Museum of Plovdiv, a ‘Chinese Song And Dance Festival’ named ‘When Chinese Characters Meet Nishang, They Let the World Know About the East’ has been held. The event has been jointly organised by the Confucius Classroom at the University of Plovdiv under the Confucius Institute Sofia, the University of Plovdiv, the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance and Arts, and the Administration Of the Ancient City at the Municipality of Plovdiv. The event has been dedicated to the celebration of the International Chinese Language Day in 2025. A delegation from the Centre for Language Exchange and Cooperation (CLEC) lead by Mrs Jing Wei – the deputy director of the CLEC, Mr Boryan Yanev – the vice-Rector of the University of Plovdiv, Mrs Nadia Cherneva - the Director of the Russian Language Centre at the Faculty of Languages at the University of Plovdiv, Mrs Aksiniya Koleva – the Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, representatives of the Chinese students and more than 70 local people, have attended the festival. The event has been co-hosted by the local teacher Mrs Elitsa Milanova and the Confucius Classroom teacher Mrs Wang Ying.
The event has been opened by a performance on a traditional Bulgarian instrument - the sheepskin pipe. Teachers and students from China and Bulgaria have performed together and have presented a wonderful song-and-dance show, including singing classic Chinese songs, a Peking Opera performance, a Dai minority ethnic dance performance, a Mongolian dance performance and a pipa solo performance, which have demonstrated the richness and the diversified charm of the Chinese culture. The grand final performance named ‘A Night to Remember’, has brought the atmosphere of the festival to a climax, with the guests singing together with the performers, and bringing the event to a successful conclusion.
Since its establishment, the Confucius Classroom at the University of Plovdiv have always been committed to providing the local community with high-quality Chinese language courses, as well as to working closely with the local universities, the local primary and secondary schools, and the municipal administration in Plovdiv, so as to be able to carry out a variety of cultural activities, which have become an important bridge for the local community to learn about the Chinese language and culture.

The Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text: Wang Ying
Photos: Wang Ying
Editors: Prof.Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Chen Chen
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. A sheepskin pipe solo performance.

Picture 2. A Chinese songs performance

Picture 3. Peking Opera performance.

Picture 4. Performing folk dances.

Picture 5. A pipa solo performance.

Picture 6. The festival stage.

Picture 7. A group photo of the guests and the performers at the festival.