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On October 23, 777ӰԺ Confucius Institute (DMU CI) hosted its first Mid-Autumn Festival Online Cultural Experience, in collaboration with DMU Dubai. This event marked a new milestone for DMU CI in launching international cooperation and promoting cross-cultural exchange. Held via Microsoft Teams, the event attracted 26 participants, including teachers and students from both campuses, who joined the interactive online session.

The event featured a rich variety of activities. Volunteer teachers began by introducing the origins, customs, and cultural significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival, followed by a retelling of the classic legend Chang’e Flying to the Moon, offering participants a deeper understanding of the stories behind the festival.

During the Chinese character learning session, teachers introduced basic characters such as 日 (sun), 月 (moon), 山 (mountain), and 川 (river), before explaining the origins and meanings of the phrase 花好月圆 (may the flowers bloom and the moon be full). The session also included an introduction to the Four Treasures of the Study — brush, ink, paper, and inkstone — along with a live calligraphy demonstration featuring the Mid-Autumn couplet “但愿人长久，千里共婵娟”, which means May we live long and share the beauty of the moon, even thousands of miles apart. These activities deepened participants’ appreciation for the art of Chinese characters and traditional calligraphy.

The event also included a hands-on paper-folding workshop where participants crafted their own jade rabbits, experiencing the charm of Chinese paper art. To conclude, DMU CI teachers presented live talent performances, a Sichuan opera face-changing demonstration and a Guzheng performance (a traditional Chinese zither), bringing the event to a memorable and festive finale.

The online event was warmly received by participants, who actively engaged throughout the cultural exchange. The success of this interactive session further enriched communication between the two campuses and provided valuable experience for DMU CI in exploring new models of international educational cooperation.

Attendees include Yi Zhang, Chinese Director of DMU CI, along with teachers and students from both the Leicester and Dubai campuses, a total of 26 participants. The successful completion of this event marks the first international collaboration, laying a solid foundation for future cross-cultural initiatives and exchanges.