Vice Premier Liu Yandong Inaugurates Independent Confucius Classroom at Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School

On June 19th, 2017, local time, Vice Premier Liu Yandong paid a visit to the independent Confucius Classroom at Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School and inaugurated the classroom. Liu Yandong was accompanied by Li Bin, Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Duan Jielong, Chinese Ambassador to Hungary, Jiang Xiaojuan, Deputy Secretary General of the State Council, Wang Chao, Vice Foreign Minister, Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Education, Cui Li, Vice Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Ma Jianfei, Deputy Director-General of Hanban, íjgyártó István, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Maruzsa Zoltán, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education at the Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary, Medgyessy Péter, Former Prime Minister of Hungary, Erdélyi Zsuzsanna, Principal of Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School and others.

Teachers and students of the school welcoming Liu Yandong

It was a glorious and sunny day with the gentle breeze. Students from the school eagerly looked forward to the distinguished guests coming from afar. At about 15:40, Vice Premier Liu Yandong and her party arrived at the campus. Students from Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School lined the path to welcome them, waving the small national flags of China and Hungary. Two students presented beautiful flowers to Liu Yandong and expressed their warmest welcome in fluent Chinese. Liu Yandong cordially shook hands with them.

Liu Yandong observing the Chinese class by Ru Yi, a local Chinese teacher

After that, Liu Yandong visited the picture exhibition of the Confucius Institute’s achievements and observed the Chinese language class on Chinese dragon given by Ru Yi, a local Chinese teacher. Liu Yandong also watched the wonderful performance staged by students of the Confucius classroom.

In her speech, Liu Yandong stressed that amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states, and communication between minds holds the key to amity between people. People-to-people and cultural exchanges function as the bridge for communication and the cornerstone of friendly cooperation among countries. Languages are the carriers of cultures and tools for communication. Acquiring a new language means mastering additional skills in making new friends, in learning the world and in turning on the future. With language as a tool and cultural blending as an approach, Confucius Institutes are building a bridge for people from different countries to understand each other and strengthen their friendship, turning into an important platform for civilizations to communicate and learn from each other.

Liu Yandong delivering a keynote speech

Liu Yandong hoped that Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School could constantly enrich teaching materials, improve educational standard and adhere to characteristic development. It is hoped that the school shall not just teach children languages, but also expos them the profound and splendid Chinese culture, so as to give them a real, vivid and multi-dimensional perspective about China and cultivates more envoys of Hungarian-Chinese friendship. Liu Yandong expressed that China will, as always, firmly support the development of the school, making it a base for training high-level Chinese talents and a cradle for sinologists, with a view to produce more outstanding Chinese-Hungarian bilingual talents.

Liu Yandong, Vice Premier, and íjgyártó István, State Secretary of Hungary jointly inaugurating the independent Confucius Classroom at Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School

At last, Vice Premier Liu Yandong and íjgyártó István, State Secretary of Hungary unveiled the nameplate for the Confucius Classroom at Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School hand in hand. Then, on behalf of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, Liu Yandong donated 1000 books and realia to the Confucius Classroom and took a group photo with students. Erdélyi Zsuzsanna, Principal of Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School, presented students’ paintings to Liu Yandong on behalf of the school and expressed her best wishes to China-Hungary friendship.