Recently, the Shandong University Traditional Instruments Orchestra visited Confucius Institutes in the UK to enhance cultural communication. On October 15, the orchestra made a successful debut at Cardiff University. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Yang Xiaokun, the minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, attended the show and delivered speeches. Walford Davies, Vice president of Cardiff Unversity, Cao Shengyuan, Chief Accountant of Shandong University and Sang Xiaomin, Head of the Department of Publicity of SDU, attended the activities.

During the visit, Cao and Sang had talks with Carwyn Jones, Professor Jiang Wenguo, the first Chinese winner of Order of the British Empire, and SDU alumni in the UK. Faculties and students of Cardiff University as well as local celebrities were present at the show.  

Before the performance, the SDU delegation also visited the Chinese Embassy, and met with Li Xiaofan, head of the SDU overseas talents station in the UK.
The performing tour, designated by Hanban (China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, NOCFL) and organized by the Department of Publicity, the Office of the Confucius Institute and the Fine Arts School of SDU, is the fifth tour of the orchestra to overseas Confucius Institutes. The two-week tour will perform at Confucius Institutes in 8 universities in the UK, including Cardiff University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Bangor University, University of Glasgow, the Royal Academy of Music, Heriot-Watt University and University of Aberdeen. Before this visit to UK universities, the SDU traditional instruments orchestra have been invited to give performance at Confucius Institutes in Korea, Canada, France, Germany, etc.

Source: view.sdu.edu.cn

Translated by: Xie Tingting

Edited by: Xuan Wen