According to the Eastern horoscope, the year of the Green Wooden Dragon begins on February 10, 2024, which will end on January 28, 2025.
From February 5 to 9, 2024, employees of the Confucius Institute for Science and Technology of BNTU held events in honor of the New Year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, the events were held in educational centers of the Institute: in gymnasiums No. 18, 22, 15 of Minsk, gymnasium No. 40 named after Yanka Luchina of Minsk and Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth. The guests were students aged 7 to 14 years old, studying or planning to start learning Chinese as a primary language. In addition, during the events at Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth, everyone could participate in master classes, as well as participants in a creative drawing contest, whose works were exhibited in the very center of the Marble Hall.
Teachers of the Confucius Institute organized master classes for students of educational centers, as well as guests of events, on such traditional Chinese arts as Chinese calligraphy with the writing of the hieroglyph "dragon", as well as paired calligraphic inscriptions with wishes of prosperity and abundance, which are traditionally written in China on red rice paper before the New Year celebration and hung on the sides from the door. In addition, Chinese volunteers taught those who wanted to paint Chinese dragon masks and carve a dragon out of paper.
The Green Wooden Dragon is the symbol of the year 2024. Among the 12 signs of the horoscope, the Dragon is the fifth in a row and is considered the only fictional animal. Those born in the year of the Dragon are considered wise, strong and talented. In China, it is often said that the Dragon moves so fast that it is impossible to see its head and tail at the same time, so time under its protection is often associated with changes and unexpected events.
Each event ended with a small concert featuring various creative performances. Chinese artists demonstrated their singing, dancing and martial arts skills to the audience. Another event that accompanied the celebration of the Chinese New Year was the awarding of the participants of the drawing contest in three age categories. The winners were announced during a festive concert at the Palace of Children and Youth and awarded with souvenirs from the Confucius Institute.
Thus, during the week, the Confucius Institute for Science and Technology of BNTU gave its educational institutions an atmosphere of Chinese celebration and joy.
