The Chinese department celebrated the holiday “Confucius Day,” hosting a series of activities in the quad today from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sept. 28 marks the renowned philosopher and educator’s birthday, which is recognized as a national holiday in China.
Confucius’ influence as an educator and philosopher makes him a highly regarded figure in Chinese history. The lessons he passed on to his disciples gave way to many common practices in East Asia, from the concept of ancestor worship to filial piety. His work throughout his life led to the establishment of classical Chinese culture and history.
To honor his achievements and philosophies in the modern day, students of all grades had the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural activities. These included calligraphy lessons, a chopsticks game, and “jianzi,” a game played by children similar to hackey-sack. Food provided by the Chinese department from fried rice to traditional Chinese dumplings were also served to students who took part in the activities available.
Chinese teachers Kitty Wang, Jenny Lin, and Isabella Liu worked together to coordinate the event at Pine View with the help of parent volunteers, and strongly encouraged all Chinese students to attend, taking their own classes to participate.
