The Inauguration Ceremony of The Confucius Classroom at The English Language School in Burgas under the Confucius Institute in Sofia

 On 8th March 2024, the Confucius Classroom at the Burgas English Language School, associated to the Confucius Institute in Sofia, has been officially launched. This is the first Confucius Classroom in the eastern region of Bulgaria and the eighth one under the Confucius Institute in Sofia. 

The inauguration ceremony of the Confucius Classroom has been attended by guests of honour – namely, Mrs Aksinia Koleva – the Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, Prof. Liu Xiuming – the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, and by the three vice-Headmasters of the English Language School in Burgas - Mrs Sonya Batchvarova, Mrs Krasimira Miteva and Mr Bozhidar Goranov. The ceremony has been attended by an audience amounting up to 50 people, concisting predominantly of local teachers, students and their parents.

 The inauguration ceremony has been hosted by the local teachers Mrs Katya Kostova and Mrs Zhanet Tsenova. In their speeches, both directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia have said that the English Language School in Burgas has always been a strong influence and a role model for the eastern region of the country. The launcing of the Confucius Classroom has become evidence that the Chinese language teaching in the Burgas region has entered into its new stage of a rapid development. Moreover, they have put their emphasis on the expecttion that the classroom is going to become a foundation facility for Chinese language teaching and a centre for the distribution of the Chinese language and culture in the eastern region of Bulgaria. Having in view its location, it is being expected the new Confucius Classroom to influnce the surrounding area and to attract more and more people to learn and understand the Chinese language and culture. This, in its turn, will contribute to the humanistic exchanges between China and Bulgaria. 

 Тeachers and students of the Confucius Classroom have meticulously prepared a cultural performance for their guests. Students from Grade 9 have recited the poem Facing The Sea with Blooming Flowers in Spring by Hai Zi. Their senior from Grade 11 has narrated The Spring – a classical literary piece, thus demonstrating the excellent Chinese language skills of all students. The teachers from the Confucius Classroom have performed a Chinese dance and have presented a Tai Chi with Fan performance, while the 12-Graders have danced in the ancient rhythm of а traditional Bulgarian dance with great enthusiasm. The atmosphere at the ceremony has been one of friendliness and warmth.

 At the end of the ceremony, both director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia and the three vice-Headmasters of the English Language School in Burgas, have officially inaugurated the new Confucius Classroom in the school. The Chinese and Bulgarian directors have donated books to the Confucius Classroom and have visited the Chinese classroom together with the guests.

Burgas is an important seaport city in the eastern region of Bulgaria which is located on the Black Sea shore. It is an ancient city with a long history and beautiful scenery. Since the opening of the Chinese language class at the English School in Burgas, Chinese has become ever popular among local teachers and students. The number of the students who are currently enrolled has grown to more than two hundred. The establishment of the local Confucius Classroom will further enhance the influence of the Confucius Institute in Sofia to the eastern region of the country and will play a positive role in promoting the humanistic exchanges and the cooperation between China and Bulgaria.

  

Confucious Institute in Sofia

Text: Chen Chan

Photos: Chen Chan

Editors: Aksinia Koleva, Chen Chаn, Liu Xiuming

English translation: Maya Kostadinova

 

1Picture 1. A group photo on the site.

2Picture 2. Speech by Prof. Liu Xiuming, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia.

3Picture 3. Speech by Mrs Aksinia Koleva, The Bulgarian director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia.

5Picture 4. The reciting of Facing The Sea with Blooming Flowers in Spring by 9-Graders.

4Picture 5. The narrating of The Spring by an 11-Grader.

6Picture 6. Teachers performing the Tai Chi Fan dance.

7Picture 7. Grade 12 students performing a traditional Bulgarian dance.

8Picture 8. Guests of honour from China and Bulgaria have jointly inaugurated the Confucius Classroom.

9Picture 9.  The Chinese and the Bulgarian directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia have donated books to the Confucius Classroom.