In celebration of the work being done at Confucius Institutes across the globe, the Office of Chinese Language Council International (colloquially known as the Hanban) and the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI) presented Confucius Institute Day. The events included a showcase of Han fashion, dance and ancient music on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall.
"Hanfu Costumes through the Chinese Dynasties: A Celebration of Confucius Institute Day" features the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The Han have an immense history, spanning 4,000 years - from the legendary Yellow Emperor all the way to the end of the Ming Dynasty. The Confucius Institute at UK, together with Mu Dan Hong proudly shares with the Bluegrass community the fashion, technology and elegance of this ancient Chinese apparel.
The event capped off a day of celebration in Triangle Park in which visitors created opera masks, tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy, ate Chinese food, listen to traditional Chinese music, played hackey sack and participated in a traditional tea ceremony.
The mission of the UKCI is to serve as Kentucky’s gateway to China in the areas of education, arts, culture and business. Maske and her staff have been largely successful in fulfilling this mission at UK, local Kentucky schools and in the community at large.
Since its inauguration, UKCI has positioned itself as a conduit of UK’s China initiatives, and created many successful partnerships between colleges at UK and Chinese Universities. UKCI has also played a valuable role in K-12 Chinese language and cultural education.
UKCI's success was recognized globally with the university's program being among the 25 named 2012 Confucius Institute of the Year. Awarded by the Hanban, the honor distinguishes UKCI among the more than 430 Confucius Institutes in 115 countries, including 90 Confucius Institutes in the U.S.
