At the Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University, the Chinese Corner has become a beautiful feature of the cultural life of the local community, as well as a bridge to enhance cultural exchanges, attracting people from different cultural backgrounds to come together and share the joy of learning Chinese and also its culture. The Chinese Corner was relaunched late in October and has already become a household name amongst local communities. The Chinese Corner features animated films and Tai Chi as the theme, bringing a double feast for participants.
The biggest feature of the Chinese Corner launch was “movie night”. The selected film for this theme activity is “Nezha: The Birth of the Demon Boy”, and the viewing classroom was full. In order to let the audience experience the charm of Chinese culture more deeply, the Chinese Corner carefully prepared a series of Chinese snacks: biscuits and candies with Chinese characteristics, fragrant tea, etc., so that everyone can experience Chinese refreshment culture while watching the movie.
As an important role in ancient Chinese myths and legends, Nezha is a representative figure in traditional Chinese culture. The film uses humorous and witty language and vivid and rich animation images to show the audience Nezha’s transformation from a misunderstood “magic boy” to a hero who finally became a hero who saved the common people. Nezha’s growth process conveys a profound enlightenment about family, friendship and courage, and is also the embodiment of the spirit of the Chinese nation. The film touched everyone’s heart, and everyone was sometimes nervous and breathless, sometimes laughing, and sometimes moved to tears. After the movie ended, everyone said that they liked Nezha very much, liked Guoman, and wanted to learn more about Chinese art and culture in the future.
Bongiwe Malanga, one of the students said, “This event was an eye opener to me. I have never been in direct contact with the Chinese culture. I will frequent the Chinese Corner events.”
Tai Chi is a martial art, a philosophy, and a representation of Chinese culture. It emphasizes the combination of movement and static, the balance of yin and yang, and emphasizes inner peace and tranquility. In the process of learning, the students not only appreciated the profundity of traditional Chinese martial arts, but also got great relaxation and pleasure in body and mind. Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, in the calm and soft music, Mr. Zhang started with the theoretical knowledge “Qi”, and then started the teaching of basic skills “horse step” and “holding the ball”, and carried out Tai Chi teaching step by step. The students were attentively learning each movement, feeling the flow of air in their bodies, and they laughed and said, “Tai Chi is amazing!” ”。
Standing at a new starting point, the Chinese Corner will continue to move forward with full expectations and motivation. In the future, the Confucius Institute Chinese Corner will launch more colorful activities, including traditional Chinese cultural experiences such as chess, musical instruments, tea arts, handicrafts, cultural lectures, and traditional Chinese festival celebrations, so that more residents of the Stanlingbusch community and Chinese language lovers can participate in it and experience the unique charm of Chinese language and culture
