On January 30, 2025, “Vasil Levski” Secondary School in Ruse, with the support of the Confucius Institute at UVT, organized a festive program and workshops on the occasion of the Year of the Green Wooden Snake. Once again, Kaneff Centre was transformed into a hub of Chinese culture, where students demonstrated their knowledge and talents related to China.
The event was honoured by a number of official guests, including the Governor of Ruse Region, Mr. Dragomir Draganov, the Mayor of Ruse Municipality, Mr. Pencho Milkov, the Head of RDE – Ruse Dr. Rositsa Georgieva, the Deputy Dean of RU “Angel Kanchev,” Assoc. Prof. Galina Ivanova, Honorary Chairman of the BOA of the Confucius Institute, Prof. Dr. Sc. Plamen Legkostup, and the Director of the CI at UVT, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iskra Mandova.
The hall was filled with enthusiastic audience who showed interest in the diverse program. Particularly popular among the youngest visitors was the workshop area, where they had the opportunity to cut paper figures, learn about the traditional Chinese game "jianzi", make temporary tattoos with Chinese characters and taste traditional Chinese dishes.
Yet again, the Dragon dance took the audience by storm, and the solo performance Dragon ribbon further boosted the festive mood.
A particularly exciting moment was the presentation of video greetings from former alumni of the school, who shared their successes and sent messages on the occasion of Chinese New Year. During the event, the audience also enjoyed an impressive performance inspired by the film “House of Flying Daggers,” performed by Freedom Dance Studio – Ruse.
The students who performed on stage presented different aspects of Chinese culture through dances, musical performances, a traditional Chinese fashion show, and martial arts demonstrations. The youngest participants won the audience by performing two traditional Chinese songs.
A special highlight of the program was the video presentation of Raya Popova – winner of the Chinese Language Bridge for Students competition in Bulgaria. She shared the most exciting moments of her participation in the next stage of the competition in China.
The event once again proved the growing interest in Chinese culture and language among young people in Ruse, providing a platform for students to express themselves and an opportunity for the audience to experience the rich cultural heritage of China.