On 14 May 2013, the first Confucius Classroom in Slovenia wasestablished in Druga gimnazija Maribor Middle School in Maribor,the second largest city in the country, by the Confucius Instituteof the University of Ljubljana (CI Ljubljana) in partnership withthe Shanghai University of International Business andEconomics (SUIBE). Over 100 people from all walks of life attendedthe opening ceremony, including Mr. Zhou Qian, Cultural Counselorof the Chinese Embassy in Slovenia, Professor Wang Guanlin,Director of SUIBE Confucius Institute Affairs, Professor Ye Rong,Deputy Director of SUIBE Confucius Institute Affairs, Ms. Danijela Voljč, Slovenian Director of CI Ljubljana, Mr. ChenJian, Chinese Director of CI Ljubjana, Mr. Ivan Lorencic,Headmaster of Druga gimnazija Maribor, as well as Slovenian education officials.
At the ceremony, Counselor Zhou, Mr. Ivan Lorencic, Professor Ye,Ms. Danijela Voljč each delivered a speech; students who hadparticipated in CI Summer Camp shared their cultural exchangeexperience of touring and exploring China; students who had learnedShaolin Martial Arts gave a demonstration of the Chinese Kung Fu;Mrs. Masa, a graduate from the University of Ljubljana, provided anintroduction to the traditional Chinese medicine and healthyliving.
After the ceremony, the guests visited the Confucius Classroom at Druga gimnazija Maribor . The classroom was decorated with a salient Chinese cultureatmosphere, with a plague inscribed with “Confucius Classroom” andpresented by Hanban (the Chinese Language Council International)hanging over the classroom door, and Chinese paintings andcalligraphy on classroom walls.