As entrusted by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, Prof. Aidiya Maimaiti, Chief of Institute for Silk Road Culture and Art shared her insights into the culture of Silk Road with teachers and Prof. Aidiya Maimaiti delivered a cultural lecture entitled “Coming through the History – Silk Road Nowruz Festival” on May 19, 2012. Students of the CI and Chinese culture fans came to the auditorium ahead of schedule which is all-packed as they expected the cultural trip which transcends the history.

The lecturer talked about the “Spring Festival” of Uyghur – Nowruz Festival, which has a history of over 3,000 years. At the very beginning, the ancestors of Tujue Clan, including Uyghur people, led a nomad life. They named the date when the day and night are even in late winter and early spring as “Ri Sheng” and “Nian Tou” and called that very month as “Yang Gao Yue”. This comes at a time when ice and snow melt, grass and trees turn green, the earth revives and live stocks give birth. Herdsmen celebrated the festival joyfully while taking stock of live stocks which escaped the winter safely as they geared up for the graze on the steppe. As time goes by, Nowruz Festival has played a very important role in promoting interaction, cultural exchanges between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, especially in creating the ancient Silk Road.

The lecture deliverer touched upon the festival, customs and culture of the Silk Road, and the integration between the nation of Silk Road and different civilizations. The attractive lecture is a splendid cultural feast for students of the CI and Chinese culture enthusiasts. They listened to the explanation on the traditional culture of China’s minority group gamely and applauded from time to time. Immediately after the lecture, students strived to ask questions and take group photo with Professor Aidiya Maimaiti.