On March 17, St. Patrick's Day parades were held in various parts of Ireland, and Confucius Institutes around the country formed teams full of Chinese elements to actively participate in the parade.
In Galway City, the Confucius Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine of Galway University joined hands with nearly 50 Chinese students and local Chinese and overseas Chinese to form a team to participate in the parade, bringing a project display with Chinese characteristics and a performance that integrates national traditions, accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums, the dragon dance team performed on stage, Tai Chi performance skillfully integrated the concept of health preservation with Chinese characteristics, various traditional Chinese costumes highlighted the beauty of unique design, and the cute giant panda puppet became the focus of the scene, attracting the attention of countless children. The procession also highlighted the sister-city relationship between Galway and Nanjing, and hoped that the two cities could continue to strengthen exchanges and promote exchanges. During the procession, the Confucius Institute team also distributed Confucius Institute courses and activity experience vouchers to the participants, so that more people can understand and experience Chinese culture.
In Cork, the Confucius Institute at Cork University, together with more than 150 local overseas Chinese, Chinese students, local teachers and students, jointly organized a parade with unique Chinese characteristics, which also made a brilliant appearance, bringing a visual and cultural feast to the citizens of Cork. The flag bearer at the front of the team holds the national flags of China and Ireland, symbolizing the eternal friendship between China and Ireland, the cute panda puppets in the team have gained a lot of love, the Tai Chi fan performance shows the charm and power of traditional Chinese Tai Chi Kung Fu, and the costume team and the Journey to the West team are this year's "new tricks", and the four masters and apprentices with distinct roles have traveled through time and space, attracting the attention of many audiences.
The participants said that in the wonderful performances and interactive experiences of the Confucius Institute, they had a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and felt the exchange and integration of Chinese and Irish cultures. The Confucius Institute will continue to devote itself to promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Ireland, and make unremitting efforts to strengthen the friendship between the Chinese and Estonian peoples. (Contributed by Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, University of Galway, Ireland, and Confucius Institute at University College Cork, Ireland)