Confucius Institute UC

🌟 Join us for Chinese Immersion Day!
📅 Sunday 28 June
📍 TSB Space & Activity Room, Tūranga (Christchurch Central Library)
🕝 Cultural activities start at 2:00 PM, following a special book donation ceremony

🌟 Come! Celebrate Chinese culture with us through a fun-filled afternoon featuring:
🎨 Chinese performances, including Face-changing, Taichi, and Chinese traditional dance
🎨 Calligraphy
🎨 Lacquer fan making
🎨 Chinese traditional Puzzles
🎨 Opera mask painting
🎨 Chinese clothing try-on
🎨 Tea Art

All activities are FREE and perfect for the whole whānau! Bring your little ones and immerse yourselves in the rich world of Chinese culture as we gear up for New Zealand Chinese Language Week.

✨Don’t miss it – we can’t wait to see you there!

CIUC Hosts 15th Annual Board Meeting at UC

On 6 March 2026, the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury (CIUC) welcomed colleagues from UC and Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) for its 15th Annual Board Meeting.

It was a great chance to look back on what CIUC has achieved over the past year and to explore ideas for the year ahead. Board members highlighted the Institute’s contributions to Chinese language education, community engagement, and academic exchange across the South Island.

The meeting also focused on future collaboration, including supporting student mobility, joint academic projects, and exploring new opportunities together. The discussions reflected the strong, long-standing partnership between UC and HUST and the shared commitment to continuing this work.

The meeting concluded with thanks to the CIUC team and a shared enthusiasm for the year ahead.

The Chinese Bridge Competition 2026
The “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition (汉语桥) is back again for 2026!

Hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury (CIUC) and supported by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), this prestigious competition offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase your Chinese language skills and compete for a chance to win a scholarship to study in China, embarking on an unforgettable cultural and educational journey!

The Chinese Bridge Speech Competition is a series of events for non-Chinese speakers, ranging from Year 1 to tertiary level. The South Island final will take place on May 30, 2026, at the University of Canterbury's Central Lecture Theatres. Winners of the national competition will participate in the International Speech Competition. For more details on the competition and how to enter, please refer to the links below:
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/research/about-uc-research/research-groups-and-centres/confucius-institute/confucius-institute-programmes/chinese-bridge-proficiency-competition

🎊 From Calligraphy to Face-Changing — CIUC Volunteers Shine at Dunedin’s Chinese New Year Carnival

Invited to take part in the Chinese New Year Carnival organised by the Dunedin City Council, five MLAs from the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury (CIUC) shared authentic Chinese cultural experiences with the Otago community through interactive workshops and live performances.

🖌️ Bringing Art to the Streets
On 15 February, visitors of all ages enjoyed hands-on experiences in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy at Wall Street Mall. Children learned to paint pandas and bamboo, while many visitors received the handwritten “Fu” (Blessing) character, sharing wishes of good fortune for the year ahead.

✨ An Unforgettable Night at Lan Yuan Chinese Garden
The celebrations continued at Lan Yuan (Dunedin Chinese Garden), where live cultural performances captivated the audience. From the dramatic art of Bian Lian (Face-Changing) and fire-breathing performance to the graceful movements of Tai Chi Sword, the performances showcased the richness and diversity of Chinese traditional arts.

🏮 Hands-On Cultural Experiences
Interactive cultural stations invited the public to experience paper-cutting, Chinese knot-making, and lantern decoration. Despite the cool evening temperatures, enthusiastic crowds continued to participate well into the night.

🤝 Connecting Communities Through Culture
Warmly received by both local residents and the Dunedin City Council, the events reflected CIUC’s ongoing commitment to building cultural understanding and friendship between China and New Zealand.

✨ Warmly received by local residents and the Dunedin City Council, the events highlighted the power of cultural exchange in bringing communities together. CIUC remains committed to fostering friendship and mutual understanding between China and New Zealand through meaningful cultural engagement.

Thank you to our dedicated CIUC MLAs for making this celebration so memorable!

CIUC Participation in China–New Zealand Education Exchange Forum | Marlborough

On Friday, 13 February, CIUC participated in the China–New Zealand Education Exchange & Cooperation Roadshow organised by Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Christchurch, hosted at Marlborough Girls’ College.

At the forum, CIUC introduced the Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA) Programme and our Cultural Activities portfolio to schools across the Marlborough region, outlining how we support sustainable Mandarin provision and meaningful intercultural engagement.

We were honoured to have Her Worship Nadine Taylor, Mayor of Marlborough District Council, deliver remarks at the forum, highlighting the importance of international educational collaboration and cultural connection.

It was a pleasure to engage with leadership teams from:
Marlborough Girls' College
Marlborough Boys' College
Richmond View School
Redwoodtown school

We also appreciate the continued support from NMIT and the Marlborough Chinese Community.

As the coordinating Confucius Institute for New Zealand’s South Island, CIUC remains committed to strengthening sustainable Mandarin provision and meaningful cultural engagement opportunities across the region.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with CIUC at Christchurch Libraries

The Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury (CIUC), in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi, warmly invites the community to join a series of Chinese New Year cultural events held at libraries across Christchurch.

These free, family-friendly events are a great opportunity to experience Chinese culture, enjoy festive activities, and celebrate the Lunar New Year together with friends and whānau.

Event details, including dates, times, and locations, are listed below. We look forward to celebrating with you.

MLA Orientation Completed – A Strong Start to the Year

Last week, CIUC successfully completed our three-day MLA Orientation, welcoming a new cohort as they begin their teaching and cultural exchange journey in Aotearoa New Zealand. The orientation combined practical briefings, talent and skills demonstrations, and a team-bonding visit to the International Antarctic Centre, helping MLAs feel prepared for professional work and connected as a cohort from the outset.

The orientation covered both practical and people-focused aspects, including teaching in New Zealand schools, classroom management, health and safety, homestay interactions, and navigating professional responsibilities. We were also joined by Blair Johnstone, Kaihautū | Director of Māori at the University of Canterbury, who provided an introduction to New Zealand biculturalism and the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in educational and community contexts.

In addition, the CIUC Coordinator covered key areas including working in schools, working for CIUC, proactive communication and respecting professional boundaries, safety and wellbeing, personal responsibility, work priorities, visa conditions, and research accountability. CIUC Mandarin Insturctors also introduced CIUC's programme structure, regulations, services, events, and activities, highlighting where MLA involvement is required throughout the year.

Beyond information sharing, the orientation was about setting the tone — fostering clarity, trust, and a sense of belonging from day one. It was encouraging to see MLAs engage thoughtfully, ask insightful questions, and support each other as a cohort.

A big thank you to everyone involved behind the scenes. We look forward to seeing our MLAs grow, contribute, and thrive in their schools and communities over the coming months.

🎉 RESULTS ARE IN | Chinese Anime Art Contest 🎉

The votes are in — and thank you to everyone who took part!
Following the voting process outlined in our previous post, we counted only the artwork numbers left in the comment section as valid votes. Likes and other types of comments were not included.

Based on these results, we’re excited to share the Top 10 winning artworks of the Chinese Anime Art Contest.

🏆 Top 10 Winning Artworks

🥇 1st Place – Artwork No. 53
🥈 2nd Place – Artwork No. 51
🥉 3rd Place – Artwork No. 32

🏅 Other Top 10 artworks – Artwork No. 20, 57, 83, 59, 85, 84, 82, 08 (including two entries with the same number of votes)

📸 Winning artworks are shown above.
📩 Winners will be contacted via their schools and/or Mandarin Teaching Assistants shortly.

Congratulations to all our winners, and a big thank you again to every student who shared their work with us! 🌟

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 – 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
🔥 Voting Time! 🔥
Over 100 amazing artworks from students across New Zealand’s South Island — full of color, imagination, and passion!
We’ve carefully selected 30 final pieces, and all the works have been numbered in the upper right corner. Now YOU get to decide the Top 10!

Awards & Prizes:
🥇 1st Prize – NZD $100 Gift Card + Winner’s Certificate
🥈 2nd Prize – NZD $80 Gift Card + Certificate of Excellence
🥉 3rd Prize – NZD $50 Gift Card + Certificate of Excellence
🏅 4th – 10th Places – Gifts+ Certificate of Excellence
Winning entries will be displayed on our official Facebook!

💬 Vote by commenting below with the numbers of your favourite pictures — feel free to pick more than one! ❤️📸
📅 Voting ends: November 24th, 2025

Every vote counts — show your support for our young creators and pick your favorite masterpiece! 🎨✨