Confucius Institute opens door to Cubans

The Confucius Institute at the University of Havana is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, and has opened its door to the public, seeking to encourage the arrival of new Cuban students interested in the Chinese language and culture.

In Havana‘s Chinatown on Saturday, professors and students of the teaching institution attached to the university offered information to people who were interested in the function of the center.

After an initial introduction to the courses and enrollment, which are totally free, many people gathered at the gate of the institute on the Old San Nicolas Street to play weiqi (Go), appreciate the art of Chinese knots and paper folding and paint on their faces the flags of Cuba and China.

As the most enthusiastic participants, young people and children seized the chance to directly approach ancient Chinese culture, which was being promoted by the 22 Chinese teachers and six Cubans who work at the institute.

“The institute was founded on November 30, 2009 and since then more than 6,000 students have passed through our classrooms and have advanced through the different levels of the Chinese language,” the institute‘s principal Yorbelis Rosell told the Xinhua News Agency. 

Rosell stressed that they currently have more than 900 students.

The institute offers courses at various levels, from the elementary to the advanced, as well as those for teenagers and adults.

“The Institute is a bridge of friendship between two peoples, because by teaching the country‘s language and promoting its culture, the students also know the differences of other people and in that way to respect it and to create stronger friendly relations,” said Rosell.

In the classrooms, demonstrations of fabric dyeing, consultations of traditional and natural medicine were also presented, as well as the first class for the attending students.

Among students who were starting their Chinese learning journey, Thalia Alvarez majors in English at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the University of Havana.

“I want to choose Chinese as a second language, because I find it very attractive and it has nothing to do with Spanish,” said Alvarez, 19, adding that she was very interested in the Chinese culture.