All Things Chinese for the ladies of Rhiwderin

At the end of March, Cardiff Confucius Institute’s Ling He gave a talk on ‘All Things China’ at a Women’s Institute just outside Newport.

The central theme was Chinese festivals, with a particular focus on the recent Spring Festival of which Chinese New Year plays a major part. Ling started by introducing the celebrations, shared some popular traditional customs including historical references, then went on to discuss Chinese food culture. Always a winner!

‘All Things China’ was another great opportunity for the people of Wales to learn about Chinese culture, as well as play a small part in building trans-national relationships, cross-cultural awareness and understanding. Cardiff Confucius Institute General Manager Tom Spare attended the event with Ling and said, “We work with a wide range of organisations, schools and companies to deepen an understanding of Chinese culture and language. As the son and grandson of long serving Women’s Institute members, I am really proud we were able to come and speak to the members of Rhiwderin WI.”

The Women’s Institute, more commonly known as the WI, has been in existence for over 100 years. The WI is “based on the idea of bringing women together, providing them with educational opportunities and the chance to make a difference in their communities.”

Rhiwderin Women's Institute was formed in 1944 and is part of the Gwent Federation. Viv, a member of Rhiwderin WI said: “Ling gave a fascinating talk about the customs and traditions of Chinese New Year. The talk was so interesting as most of us had assumed that it was a relatively short celebration, when it actually involves weeks of preparation, decorating, gift giving and feasting on certain foods with family members. An excellent speaker, Ling held our attention throughout a really enjoyable evening.”