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Job Osazuwa
Chinese nationals in Lagos recently marked their country’s Spring and Lantern festival with pomp.
The festival, known as Chun Jie, marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It is regarded as the most important festival in China and it is celebrated every February. It is a time when the citizens expect good luck and fortunes.
The Main Auditorium, University of Lagos (UNILAG), venue of the event, wore a carnival air. Chinese students, teachers and their friends gathered at the venue for the occasion organised by the Confucius Institute, UNILAG.
The event gave participating students and guests the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of Chinese language and culture. Besides trying their hands on the language, the participants demonstrated their love and mastery of Chinese songs and dance.
The Nigerian director of the Confucius Institute, UNILAG, Prof. Chimdi Maduagwu, affirmed that the event was one of the most important and highly cherished festivals in the Chinese calendar.
He said that since the institute kicked off 10 years ago, it has trained more than 10,000 Nigerians to read and write in the Chinese language.
He said: “The Confucius Institute has trained people who have become proficient in the use of the Chinese language. Many of them have been recommended for scholarships. They have also spent various periods of time in a number of universities in China to improve on their knowledge of the language and Chinese culture.
“We hope that through these steps many Nigerians will learn more about China so that the two countries can know each other better, and I believe that both of us have so many things to benefit.”
He noted that, apart from the Confucius Institute in UNILAG and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, there were many Chinese learning centres across Nigeria.
On what the students learning Chinese language stand to benefit from the programme, Chimdi said the institute would assist those students who demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency to apply for scholarship in Chinese universities.
The director said the institute has partnered with the Beijing Institute of Technology, China, where many Nigerian students, through scholarship from the Chinese government, have been tutored in different courses.
“This year is particularly important to us at the Confucius Institute because we have operated here for 10 years. The popular saying of “a journey of a thousand years begins with a step” was said by the Chinese sage, Confucius. The journey of the institute started small but today it has made its mark within the university and the entire country,” Maduagwu said.
The Chinese consul-general to Nigeria, Mr. Guan Zhongqi, expressed delight to have witnessed a New Year with his fellow citizens. He recalled that 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the Republic of China.
He said China has grown to become the world’s second largest economy. He boasted that the country has lifted about 70 million people out of poverty since its economic reform some years ago. And he stated that the country has a target to eradicate poverty by 2020.
The consul-general, in an address delivered on his behalf, assured the Nigerian government that China was willing to work with the country to bring mutual benefits for the two countries and their citizens.
He commended all teachers at the Confucius Institute for passionately imparting the Chinese language and culture on the students.
The Chinese director of the institute, Prof. Wang Yongjing, said that the Spring and Lantern festival was the Chinese people’s identity. She described Nigerians as exciting people to work with, noting that the country was a beautiful place to live in.
“To celebrate the festival, all our people, whether they are rich or poor, young or old, see the season as a period for family reunion. But we decided to remain in Lagos for the celebration for the love we have for you and the interest you have in our language,” she said.
On the similarities between China and Nigeria, Wang pointed out that both countries promote their culture, music, peace, practise love for family members, care for the elderly, babies as well as care for parents. She added that the two countries also love similar local fabrics.
The occasion also featured a martial arts display, musical fashion show, which depicted the love that Nigeria and China have for each other, as well as the popular Chinese kung fu.
Officers from the Nigerian Navy Centre of Education and Training Technology rendered a Chinese song to the admiration of the audience.
