Submitted by urci on
Gourmet food is the way to reach the soul of a nation. No matter how deep one's understanding of a country's history, geography and culture, or eagerness to raise awareness of a country, gourmet food is undoubtedly an effective start. Hence, the Confucius Institute at the University of Regina held a series of events in November to help locals understand and experience Chinese culture. The theme of the series of events is "Experiencing Chinese Cuisine and Spreading Chinese Culture," wherein two experienced chefs were invited to present Chinese cuisine with color, aroma, and flavor to the locals' taste buds. The Confucius Institute also presented a fantastic showcase of Chinese martial arts, Chinese movie screenings, and the Institute's Chinese dance and Dragon dance teams did marvelous presentations.
On November 15, a cooking workshop was held in a professional kitchen at the University's main campus with lots of culinary enthusiasts from locals of diverse backgrounds. The dishes included Vegetarian dumplings, corn egg soup, and fried rice, all of which are simple and easy to learn. The attendees happily enjoyed the food.
Meanwhile, the Confucius Institute organized an intensive Chinese cooking workshop on "Learning to Cook Chinese food." on November 18. During the 3 hour workshop, eight participants learned several classic homemade dishes under the guidance of an experienced instructor that included Sha Cha beef, Chinese Vegetable Salad and Stir Fry Rice Noodle. Compare with the western cooking ways that accurately use different measuring tools, the Chinese cooking way of using "a little," "some" and other traditional methods sparked an interest when compared to western cooking. The workshop provided an opportunity for the locals to taste delicious Chinese foods and experience the differences between Chinese and Western food culture as well. After the workshop, students expressed their great interest in continuing to attend cooking classes offered by the Confucius Institute in the future.
Meanwhile, the Regina Open Door Annual Client Appreciation event took place on the 23rd of November, the Confucius Institute Chinese Dance Team and Dragon Dance Team brought a spectacular performance that about 200 people participated in. The show was opened by "Cai Wei," a graceful sleeves dance. The Dragon Dance team performed next where the spirit and style of a Chinese dragon was emulated with a steady horse step, sonorous pace, and staggered rhythm. Also, a classical graceful Chinese dance "Beauty Yin" ended the whole show. The beautiful performances of the dancers demonstrated the charm of Chinese folk dances and Chinese martial arts, and all the audience immersed in the atmosphere of Chinese art.
Served for Local Community with a Series of Chinese Cultural Activities may have come to an end, but the Confucius Institute at the University of Regina will continue to work hard to promote Chinese culture in the local community. It is the institute's way to promote an understanding and love for Chinese Culture in the Canadian community.