The Confucius Institute at the University of Debrecen, together with the OTT-Home International Meeting Point, celebrated the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the close of winter, and the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse with music, dance, and singing performances. This year’s Chinese Lantern Festival, organized for the second time, welcomed visitors on February 28 in downtown Debrecen, in the Batthyány Street pedestrian zone decorated with lanterns for the occasion.
The Year of the Fire Horse is a rare combination: in Asian traditions, the horse symbolizes movement, freedom, and independence, while the element of fire adds energy and momentum to turn ideas into action throughout the year.
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“Thanks to the organizers and the university’s Confucius Institute, one of the world’s most colorful and exciting cultures can be showcased in the city’s public spaces. For the second time, we can celebrate the Chinese New Year together, bid farewell to winter, and welcome the coming spring, while enjoying the cultural and culinary experiences of a distant country,” said István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen responsible for cultural affairs, during the opening ceremony.
The festival aims to strengthen the ties between Chinese and Hungarian cultures, providing an opportunity to promote the Chinese language and culture while reinforcing cultural and economic relations between Hungary and China.
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“Debrecen has been closely linked to the university for centuries, with its scientific achievements, faculty, and both Hungarian and international students. Hungarian students can study languages such as Japanese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, German, English, French, and now also Chinese, thanks to the Confucius Institute, which also allows them to explore the corresponding cultures,” said Andrea Horváth, representing the University of Debrecen.
The director of the University of Debrecen of the Faculty of Humanities German Studies Institute highlighted that foreign students also have the opportunity to share their homeland’s customs and carefully preserved cultural values with fellow students and the city’s residents, giving the public a taste of their culture at the Lantern Festival.
The program began with Chinese disco music from DJ Maci – this time DJ Pandamaci – followed by performances from the Dancing Fairies, an artistic group formed by Chinese, international, and Hungarian students of the university dressed in traditional costumes. Ancient instruments, including the traditional Chinese zither, were played, and the Chinese Students’ Association presented a Hanfu costume show for the audience’s enjoyment.
One of the evening’s highlights was the traditional Chinese lion dance, performed during festive occasions to invite good luck and ward off evil spirits. The acrobatic performance was accompanied by drums, cymbals, and gongs, as the loud rhythms are believed to have protective power according to tradition.
Performers and festival-goers were welcomed with a special paired poem and traditional Chinese New Year greetings by Cui Xianjun, Chinese Director of the the University of Debrecen of the Faculty of Humanities Confucius Institute, and László Erik Kovács, Hungarian Deputy Director, as well as representatives from supporting companies including BMW Debrecen, CATL, EVE POWER, and SEMCORP Hungary Ltd.
The festival continued with a spectacular fire-juggling show and concluded with a concert along the lantern-decorated pedestrian street.
(unideb.hu)
