STORY: People brave bad weather to attend Chinese Cultural Exhibition in Rwanda's capital
DATELINE: Sept. 26, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:18
LOCATION: Kigali
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Chinese Culture Exhibition
2. SOUNDBITE (English): ORNELLA SIFA, Student at the Confucius Institute

STORYLINE:

Hundreds of Rwandans and Chinese people living in Rwanda braved the afternoon bad weather to attend an action-packed Chinese Cultural Exhibition in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, over the weekend.

The Chinese Culture on Campus and Mid-Autumn Festival was staged Saturday at the University of Rwanda's Confucius Institute. It was also organized to celebrate the National Day of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct. 1.

The one-day event, themed "Happy Chinese, Lovely China," comprised nine booths exhibiting Chinese calligraphy, dance, music, traditional costume, tea, handicrafts, cuisine and kung fu, according to Zeng Guangyu, the co-director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda.

It drew the community members and mainly students who participated through exhibitions, presenting their experiences, singing Chinese songs and performing dances.

Ornella Sifa, a first-time attendee at the exhibition, said it was an exciting moment.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): ORNELLA SIFA, Student at the Confucius Institute
"We learned new stuff, especially how to make bracelets and mooncakes, and we also danced. It means a lot because we don't really interact more with other people (from other cultures). Because we are big fans of Chinese culture, as being able to come here in front of everybody dance in such a very important festival that shows the culture of China, it made us so happy and excited."
   
The event helped meet the needs of local people to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture, to display a respectable, credible and lovely image of China, according to organizers.
   
Attendees participated in the event's nine challenge projects including "saying a blessing," "singing a Chinese song", "writing a piece of calligraphy," "performing a set of boxing," "cutting a paper-cut," "making a Chinese handicraft," "making a pot of tea."
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kigali.
(XHTV)