The Tayo Aderinokun Hall of the University of Lagos was home of colours for several hours on Friday, June 21, 2024, as the Confucius Institute (CI) of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) rolled out the drums for the 2024 Dragon Boat Festival.
The event was witnessed by a delegation from the Chinese Consulate in Lagos led by the Deputy Consul-General; Jin Minyu who described the festival as one with huge significance in Chinese culture.
In his address, Jin Minyu applauded the Management of UNILAG and Confucius Institute for their commitment to fostering the diplomatic ties between Nigeria and China.
The event, according to the Chinese Deputy Consul-General, will help Nigerians appreciate the ways, arts and culture of the Chinese better.
He said “Civilization becomes richer when intercultural learning is promoted”.
Earlier in separate remarks, the Nigerian Director of the Confucius Institute; Professor Obi Iwuagwu and his Chinese counterpart, Professor Zhao Hongling appreciated the UNILAG Management team for always identifying with all activities of the Confucius Institute. They reassured of the Institute’s commitment towards making its presence felt across and beyond UNILAG especially in raising more Chinese talents thereby supporting a stronger tie between Nigeria and Chinese communities.
The highpoint of the celebration was the disbursement of scholarship awards to ten (10) students of the Institute, courtesy of Henan Merchants Association, there were various solo and group performances by different classes of students of the Confucius Institute while members of the audience who answered random questions posed by the Chinese Deputy Consul-General; Jin Minyu smiled home with souvenirs all in the spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese traditional holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar, Qu Yuan. The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
In the Republic of China, citizens traditionally throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water and it is also customary to eat tzungtzu and rice dumplings. Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
The Confucius Institute, UNILAG had, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 kicked off a 3-day series of events with the flag off of renovation works on the CI Complex as performed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, and the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing.
Click here for details https://unilag.edu.ng/?p=38457.
Thursday, June 20, 2024, was dedicated to Culture and Arts celebration, with the Institute becoming a beehive of activities which ranged from making confectioneries to crafts-making, all anchored by Chinese instructors. Click here for details https://unilag.edu.ng/?p=38479.
Report: Gbenga Gbelee
Photography: Samuel Dosumu
