Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: Confucius Institute in Indianapolis
Translated by: Wu Kerong (Confucius Institute in Indianapolis)
Edited by: Wang Dongmei
While the City of Indianapolis was enjoying its cool and sunny weather at the latter part of September, the 6th Indianapolis Chinese Festival was held in the Military Park, located in downtown Indianapolis. It was initiated by the Mayor’s Office and the Confucius Institute in Indianapolis, and sponsored by local Chinese organizations, with the aim of spreading Chinese culture, promoting the development of cultural diversity and constructing a harmonious world. After preparing for a year, it presented an artistic, interactive feast of culture for local citizens. Associate Professor Wu Menji, Chinese Director of Confucius Institute in Indianapolis, Associate Professor Wu Kerong, Chinese instructor Zhao Haixia and volunteers from Sun Yat-sen University took part in the celebration.
The audience
The park was furnished with hi-fi equipments, stage for performance, booths for changing clothes, and nearly a thousand desks and chairs. More than 60 tents were pitched, which were used as booths for different organizations showcasing Chinese culture. Hundreds of people came to perform and volunteer in the festival, attracting thousands of citizens, which formed a great spectacle.
With the sounding of drums at 12 noon on September 21, a dragon dancing team emerged among the crowd and attracted the audience to the stage, which ushered in the start of the festival. The opening ceremony was hosted by Dr. Xu Zaocheng, Director of the Confucius Institute in Indianapolis. Mr. Zhao Weiping, Chinese Consul General to Chicago; Dr. Eugene Inman, Vice President at Eli Lilly and Company; and Mr. Deron Kintner, Deputy Mayor of the City of Indianapolis, spoke at the ceremony. They sang high praise for the achievements made by the organizers in promoting Chinese culture and constructing diversified and harmonious community. The host introduced the organizations and individuals that have made great contribution to the festival.
The opening ceremony was followed by a 6-hour Chinese singing and dance, traditional Chinese musical instrument performance and Taichi group practice. The whole performance was professional, graceful, full of enthusiasm and included a variety of shows. The local Americans enjoyed it very much, as manifested in the fully occupied audience seats throughout the afternoon and the fact that more and more people gathered in the park as time went by. At the same time, a lot of people also visited the booths which showcased a variety of programs including Confucius Institute Chinese teaching programs, Chinese shuttlecock, Chinese yoyo, traditional Chinese musical instrument performance, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese chess, Mahjong, and other demonstrations and interactions.
The setting up and cleaning up of the venue was all done by the Confucius Institute teachers and student volunteers. They worked hard for almost 13 hours that day, which brought complete success to this event.
