In order to help Polish friends touch Chinese culture in a closer way, Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University will hold series of activities of traditional Chinese kites festival between May 14 and May 19, including kites making, lectures about kites and play kites in open air. Lv Tiezhi, famous Chinese kites maker from Beijing, China, and Miss Cai Mengling, Polish expert of sinology, would hold the kites festival.

Lv Tixzhi is descendent of traditional Chinese royal court kites maker family, with profound knowledge of kites. His grandfather once specialized in the making of traditional Chinese kites in the Imperial Palace.

The first event of the kites festival was held in the newly decorated Chinese language classroom of Confucius Institute on May 15. Participants, including students from Confucius Institute, from Faculty of Sinology, and from primary and high schools with their parents, and some from other cities like Lodz who learned the news from Confucius Institute’s website, were divided into two groups.

Mr. Lv Tixzhi first talked something basic about traditional Chinese kites, and played video of TV program by China Central TV Station about Mr. Lv Tiezhi and history of making kites in his family, with overall introduction about traditional Chinese kites. Then Mr. Lv Tiezhi showed varieties of beautiful and exquistite kites made by himself.

Next the students began making traditional Chinese kites following Mr. Lv Tiezhi’s instruction. At once the Chinese classroom became a workshop of Chinese kites. “Workers of the workshop” got very excited when they saw the beautiful kites made by themselves, looking forward to the lecture about Chinese kites the next day.

The kites festival has been paid wide social attention and registration was overcrowded very soon. Confucius Institute will try to meet the need from the registers of the kites festival.