The Year of the Fire Horse is a rare combination because, in Asian traditions, the horse is a symbol of movement, freedom and independence, which is joined by fire for twelve months, providing momentum and energy for us to turn our ideas into action.
“Thanks to the organizers and the Confucius Institute of or university, one of the most colorful and exciting cultures in the world is now showcased in the downtown community space, where we can welcome the Chinese New Year together for the second timealready. We can also bid farewell to winter and look forward to the arrival of spring, while enjoying the cultural and gastronomic experiences offered by a distant country,” said Vice Mayor of Debrecen for Cultural Affairs István Puskás in his opening speech.
The objective of the festival is to strengthen the ties between Chinese and Hungarian culture by creating an opportunity to popularize and promote the Chinese language and culture, while also supporting Hungarian-Chinese cultural and economic relations.
“For several centuries, our university and its scholarly-scientific achievements, together with its teachers as well as its Hungarian and international students have been an integral part of the city of Debrecen. Today, Hungarian students can study a variety of languages including Japanese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, German, English, French and, lately, even Chinese, thanks to the Confucius Institute. This, as a matter of course, also means learning about each of these cultures,” said Andrea Horváth in her welcoming speech on behalf of the University of Debrecen.
The director of the Institute of German Studies at the University of Debrecen underlined that, in turn, international students also get a chance to show the customs of their home countries to their fellow students and the residents of the city. These customs represent the cultural values that they have brought with them from home to be carefully preserved even while far away. A sample of this is offered to the city's culturally open audience at the Lantern Festival.
The program began with Chinese disco music, presented by DJ Maci (who changed his alias this time to DJ Pandamaci), followed by the stage performances of the Dancing Fairies. This latter formation is an art group made up of Hungarian, Chinese, and other international students from the university, garbed in traditional costumes. The ancient Chinese zither, called guzheng, was also played, and the Chinese Students' Association treated the audience to a Hanfu, which is a traditional costume show.
One of the highlights of the evening was the Chinese lion dance, which is performed on festive occasions to invite good luck and ward off evil spirits. The spectacular performance, rich in acrobatic elements, was accompanied by drums, cymbals, and gongs because, according to tradition, loud rhythmical sounds are thought to have protective powers.
The duo of Chinese Director Cui Xianjun and Hungarian Deputy Director László Erik Kovács greeted the performers and festival-attendees on behalf of UD’s Confucius Institute with a special poem recited jointly as a traditional Chinese New Year greeting, after which the representatives of companies supporting the event (BMW Debrecen, CATL, EVE POWER, and SEMCORP Hungary Kft) also followed suit.
The festival continued with a spectacular fire juggling show and ended with a concert on the pedestrian street bedecked with beautidul lanterns.
Press Center – BZs
Photo credits: Rudolf Jakkel