MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 30, 2016) — The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota welcomed more than 150 guests to a day of martial arts-themed fun at its annual Confucius Institute Day festivities on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The morning activity was a martial arts demonstration by The Shaolin School and U of M Boynton Health Services’ David Phipott. Guests visited the Northrop Memorial Auditorium Plaza to observe the performers and participate in demonstrations to learn moves of their own. Guests also received Confucius Day T-shirts, as well as Chinese snacks and tea from event sponsor Chatime.
In the afternoon, guests were invited to a showing of “The Grandmaster” inside Northrop Auditorium’s Best Buy Theatre. The Oscar-nominated film, directed by Hong Kong native Kar-Wai Wong, depicts the life story of Bruce Lee’s martial arts teacher and will delight audiences with its nonstop action.
Confucius Institute Day celebrations take place annually to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the Confucius Institute, an organization dedicated to promoting Chinese language and culture.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota (CIUMN) was established in 2008 to promote the study of Chinese language and culture throughout Minnesota. It is a collaborative initiative between the University of Minnesota, the Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, and Capital Normal University in Beijing. CIUMN is one of 109 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. and more than 440 worldwide. Confucius Institutes are named for the Chinese philosopher known for encouraging deep independent thought and the study of the outside world.
