In collaboration with the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Chamberof Commerce in Slovenia, Confucius Institute Ljubljana (CILjubljana), which is jointly run by SUIBE and the University ofLjubljana in the capital of Slovenia, presented a concert in thePuppet Theater on the evening of 3 February, ushering in a seriesof cultural events in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year ofthe Monkey. Some 600 people attended the event, including Mr. YeHao, the Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia, Ms. Maja Makovec Brenčič,the Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport, and Mr.Peter Gašperšič, the Slovenian Minister of Infrastructure.
Ambassador Ye and Minister Brenčič delivered a welcoming speech,reviewing the progress made by the two countries in different areasof cooperation in the past year and commending the efforts of CILjubljana to promote understanding and friendship between theChinese and Slovenian people.
The concert for the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Monkey waspresided by Dr. Xie Duquan and Ms. Danijela Voljč, co-directors ofCI Ljubljana. The Slovenian State Television later broadcast theconcert. A Slovenian couple started the show with a lively pianoand flute ensemble. The evening culminated in the stage play“Ferdinand Augustin Hallerstein – A Slovenian in the ForbiddenCity” written, directed and acted by students at CI Ljubljana.Incorporating various Chinese cultural features such as traditionalnew year songs, fan dance, and dragon dance, the play related thestory of Hallerstein, also known by his Chinese name Liu Songling,a Slovene Jesuit who spent decades at the imperial court of theQianlong Emperor in Qing Dynasty as the Head of the ImperialAstronomical Bureau, making great contribution to the Chineseastronomy. The play re-created the long history of friendlyexchange between the two countries, striking a chord in the heartsand minds of the audience.