Source: School of Sport Science of LNU   Author/Reporter: Song Peng

 

“2019 European Confucius Institutes Wushu Cup” kicked off on November 8-10 in Minsk, Belarus, which was hosted by the Confucius Classroom jointly run by Belarusian State University of Physical Culture (BSUPC) and Lingnan Normal University (LNU). More than 600 athletes and Wushu enthusiasts from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Italy gathered at BSUPC. They formed 52 teams to participate in the competition..

This is the third large-scale Chinese Wushu Open organized by the Confucius Classroom, and it was first webcast simultaneously in the name of “European Confucius Institutes Wushu Cup ”. At the opening ceremony, the Wushu players and dragon dance team from LNU offered a spectacular dragon dance performance to the audience. Dressed in beautiful dragon costumes, the performers held poles to raise and lower the meters long dragon while marching forward. Also, Li Liuyang, a Wushu volunteer teacher, performed Tai Chi with graceful movements in the midst of cheers. Ms. Li Wenhua, an official from the Education Department of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Belarus, and Mr. Chen Weiwei, Press Counselor, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Klinau Uladzimir, vice president of BSUPC, announced the opening of the cup.

This competition aimed at the promotion and development of Chinses Wushu culture across Europe, and it also wished to provide a platform for the competition and exchanges among Chinses Wushu lovers in Europe. The three-day competition consisted of traditional Chinses Wushu routine and Chinses Wushu set competition with men, women, adult, youth, junior categories, as well as several heavyweight events. Seven delegations or observer teams of Confucius Institutes from Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Portugal and Serbia came to join or watch the competition.

Outside the competition, Confucius Classroom held a series of activities for all the participants to experience Chinese culture, including tea art, calligraphy, Chinese Wushu, paper cutting, facial makeup, paddle badminton, table tennis, shuttlecock and Chinese language contest. These colorful cultural events have attracted many spectators and athletes. They all indulged in Chinese culture and were awarded exquisite Chinese-style gifts through various fun games. Besides, the interactions between the Wushu & dragon dance team from LNU and the audience offered the local people a deeper understanding of Chinese Wushu.

The closing ceremony was broadcast live by the Russian state television PTP. The event was also covered by the mainstream media of Belarus and our country, such as China Network, Xinhua Sports and Phoenix Net. The competition and cultural events have been widely praised by all sectors of the community, and they also set off a wave of exchanges and learning in Chinese Wushu and traditional culture in Belarus.

After the competition, Confucius Classroom of BSUPC made in-depth exchanges with other Confucius Institutes on the competition.

   

At the Wushu Cup

 

Cultural exchanges outside the Wushu Cup

 

Song Peng from LNU delivers a speech