Chinese Spring Festival celebration series events were held in Riga 68th Secondary School

From February 1st to February 25th of 2015, Riga 68th secondary school planned and organized a series of colorful cultural activities to celebrate the Chinese traditional festival – Spring Festival, including the “New Year of the Goat • Spring” handwritten Daily competitions, Spring Festival seminars, Chinese New Year performances Gala show. On February 25th, as the Spring Festival performances Gala show ended, Chinese Spring Festival celebration series events end. Riga 68th secondary school is the first teaching point of Confucius Institute which independently planned and organized a series of activities and performances Gala to celebrate Chinese spring festival all over Latvia.
From the February 1 to February 12, under the effort of all the teachers and students of Riga 68th secondary school, “New Year of the Goat • Spring” handwritten Daily competitions and Spring Festival seminars were held successfully. New Year of the Goat • Spring” handwritten Daily competitions encouraged students to show their creativity and artistic talent and design theme handwritten Daily. With the teacher’s help, the candidates actively and enthusiastically participated in the competition. After the game, excellent works will be displayed for one month in the school.
And the Chinese New Year Seminars were conducted during Chinese lesson. Chinese teacher Zhang Jie introduced the stories and customs about Chinese Lunar New Year. And Miss Zhang also taught the students Chinese New Year song “Happy New Year.” In addition, the children also learned to use traditional Chinese brush pen to write down a big “goat” character, which express their expectation to the Chinese lunar New Year of goat.
On February 25th, Chinese New Year performances Gala show was held successfully. Riga 68th secondary school is the first teaching point which independently planned and organized a series of activities and performances Gala to celebrate Chinese spring festival all over Latvia. More than 300 people attended the two gala performances, including Rector of Riga 68th secondary school Larisa Gončarenko, Chinese side Director of Confucius Institute Professor Shang Quanyu and foreign side Director Professor Pildegovics, Chinese teachers DONG Fang and Zhang Jie, and other staffs and students of Riga 68th secondary school.
After the opening remarks, Chinese side Director of Confucius Institute Professor Shang Quanyu and foreign side Director Professor Pildegovics made a speech to the audiences. The two directors vividly described the traditional customs in the Spring Festival with Latvian and Chinese language. The audiences relished a lot. Subsequently, Miss Zhang Jie quoted a famous saying of Confucius to express her feelings of working in the school, with the interpretation of a Chinese student Valerija Glazova.
In the joyful，peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, a modern Chinese poetry readings “Spring” began the whole Gala show, which expressed the hope for the Spring Festival. Then, a wonderful Guankou (one of the traditional Chinese folk art performances) “New Year wishes” won applause and cheers. Subsequently, the children from different grade also performed Chinese song solo “Friends”, dance “New Year Arrive”, chorus “With the light” in Chinese, Latvian and English versions, flute “Jasmine”, cha-cha Dance “Is it you or not?” in old Shanghai style. Finally, the New Year song “Congratulations” cheered all the audiences. Spring Festival Gala performances show came to an end, which drew Chinese Spring Festival celebration series events in Riga 68th Secondary School a perfect ending.
In year 2015, Riga 68 secondary school cooperates with the Confucius Institute for the first time. In this school, Chinese language courses currently open to six grades and more than 80 students. It is the first teaching point which independently planned and organized a series of activities and performances Gala to celebrate Chinese spring festival all over Latvia. All the success attributes to the co-operation and support of both Confucius Institute and Riga 68 secondary school.