Mid Autumn Festival Celebration 2018

On Monday 15th October, Cardiff Confucius Institute, along with colleagues from the Welsh Government, the Chinese Embassy, and Cardiff University School of Music, provided a wonderful celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival.

Over 100 invited guests and stakeholders from the education sector in Wales attended the evening which celebrated one of the most important festivals in the Chinese calendar. Opening speeches from the Right Honourable Carwyn Jones, First Minister for Wales, and Mr Xiang Xiaowei, Minister Counsellor for the Cultural Section of the Chinese Embassy noted the importance of the relationship between China and Wales, particularly in the field of education, and congratulated the Cardiff Confucius Institute for their continued efforts to act as a bridge between the two nations.

The evening showcased musical performances by the Traditional Orchestra of Shandong University, consisting of teachers and students majoring in Traditional Chinese Instruments at the Fine Arts School of Shandong University. The Traditional Orchestra has been widely praised for the virtuosity and high spirit of its members, and this was clear for all to see as they performed on a wide range of traditional folk instruments, from the better-known Pipa and Erhu, through to lesser-known Sheng and Suona.

Jerry Zhuo and David Vellacott from Cardiff University School of Music performed an original piece entitled ‘Door Gods’ which brought to life the mythical door gods of Chinese culture, depicting their daily circumstances though music. The innovative piece contained musical representations of the magical spells lai and chyu, which mean ‘come’ and ‘go,’ and also two 'Games' played by the gods: one called imitation, and the other called the louder one wins.

Pupils from Ysgol Cwm Rhymni, one of Cardiff Confucius Institute’s Confucius Classrooms, gave a drama performance which explained how the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by different ethnic minorities in China. The performance was given in English, Welsh and Chinese to celebrate the intercultural flavour of the evening.

Overall, the evening was a fascinating journey through Chinese folk music and tradition, and brought together a vast range of talents from across Wales and China.