The Confucius Institute In Sofia Have Successfully Completed Their Summer Camp For Chinese Language And Culture in Momchilovtsi

August 30th, 2024 has been the final day of the highly successful Summer Camp For Chinese Language And Culture held in the village of Momchilovtsi. The summer camp has been jointly organized by the Confucius Institute in Sofia and the local authorities of Momchilovtsi – a village nicknamed the “birthplace of yoghurt”.

On that same day, during the opening ceremony of the International Yogurt Festival of Bulgaria, the participants in the summer school have been invited on stage and have been awarded their certificates of completion. The Yogurt Festival opening ceremony has been attended by esteemed guests of honor - Mrs Dai Qingli – Amabassador at the Embassy of People’s Republic Of China in Bulgaria, Mr Pavlin Petrov – the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr Krasimir Daskalov - Deputy Governor of the Smolyan Region, Mr Nikolay Melemov – the Mayor of Smolyan, Mrs Siyka Surkova - the Mayor of Momchilovtsi, 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 all the participants and teachers from the Summer Camp for Chinese language and culture together with the local people.

This year the summer camp has formed a vital part of the 7th International Yoghurt Festival of Bulgaria. At the opening ceremony of the festival, both directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia have delivered a speech expressing their gratitude to the village of Momchilovtsi for their constant support and help over the years. Both directors have confirmed their determination that the Confucius Institute in Sofia will continue to contribute to the development of the village and to its deepening of the humanistic exchanges and the cooperation between Momchilovtsi and China. They have congratulated all the participants with their study achievements and their successful completion of the the summer school by proudly delivering certificates of completion to everyoneone of the participants. Then the students have demonstrated the results of their learning on stage and they have been applauded warmly by the audience for their wonderful performance of Chinese songs.

The summer camp has lasted for two weeks. The participants have been divided into a children's age class and an adult age class. Some of the participants have travelled from other parts of the country to participate in the summer camp. There have been students who have participated for the second time this year, thus demonstrating a strong interest in the Chinese language and culture. The contents of the curriculum of this summer camp have been even richer than previous years. It has not only included Chinese language courses, but has also organised cultural learning and experiential activities such as calligraphy, learning to sing Chinese songs, painting by blowing ink with a straw, playing shuttlecock and chopstick games. The participants have been learning Chinese and delving into the Chinese culture in a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.

The summer camp for Chinese language and culture in Momchilovtsi has reached a status of an own brandname project by the Confucius Institute in Sofia. The summer camp has extended the Chinese language learning to the Bulgarian countryside, and has been aiming to stimulate the local people's passion for Chinese language and culture and their desire to learn about contemporary China and to add to the friendship and to the humanistic exchanges between China and Bulgaria.

Confucius Institute Sofia
Text: Xiang Han
Photos: Liu Ruiling, Xiang Han
Editors: Prof. Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Chen Chen
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1: Both Directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia delivering their speech at the summer camp opening ceremony.

Picture 2: Prof. Chen Ying - the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia presenting certificates of completion to the participants of the adult age class.

Picture 3: Mrs Aksiniya Koleva – the Bulgarian Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, presenting certificates of completion to the students of the children's age class.

Picture 4: The children's Chinese class.

Picture 5: The adult age group with their paintings made by blowing ink with a straw.

Picture 6: The vocal art class.