Visitors to a colourful city centre carnival were treated to lessons in ancient Chinese traditions thanks to De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Members of the university’s Confucius Institute were present at the Cosmopolitan Carnival, which wound through the streets of Leicester.
Along with the carnival, the city centre was alive with free public events, with dance, art, film, music and comedy performances taking place in Jubilee Square, High Street and Cathedral Gardens.
At DMU, the Confucius Institute – a centre on campus which teaches Chinese culture and language – organised several free workshops offering carnival visitors a taste of Chinese life.
There were kung fu, calligraphy and brush painting workshops in Jubilee Square, Chinese musical instrument performances in Cathedral Gardens and a dragon parade along High Street.
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Professor Yi Peng, Chinese director of Confucius Institute, said the carnival had been well-attended.
She said: “We had such a good day on Saturday, so many people turned out and there was a real sense of festivity throughout the city.
“Plenty of people were trying out different kinds of Chinese activities through the day and it was great to see so many people taking part.
“DMU is committed to supporting the local community in all it does and we were happy to be able to help bring a global aspect to the carnival, introducing people to so many fascinating Chinese traditions.”
The Confucius Institute, on DMU’s campus, provides inspiring cultural activities, including Chinese tea ceremonies, calligraphy workshops, tai chi, music, dance and film. Activities are open to DMU staff, students and the Leicestershire community.
Posted on Wednesday 2 September 2015