From Jan 23rd to 27th, when it was just the time for Chinese to celebrate the New Year of the Dragon, Confucius Institute at Presbyterian College presented the Americans students, teachers and local communities a cultural feast by a series of activities that demonstrate the enchanting beauty of Guizhou province.

An exhibition of twenty-three photos, which present the natural scenery and the typical culture of the ethnic groups in Guizhou, started on Jan 23rd till the end of Feb. All the photos are selected from the prize-winning works in Guizhou International Photography Contest and the American students and teachers were all amazed by the uniqueness of the scenery. Whether it was glorious Huangguoshu Waterfall, the biggest waterfall in Asia, or the delicacy of the Jinji outfit of Miao people, or the originality of Nuo opera in Anshun, it has aroused every viewer’s curiosity and great interest in knowing more about Guizhou and visiting Guizhou. During the exhibition, the instructors at PCCI gave the audience introductions about Guizhou and China and had heated discussions about the photos.

On Jan 25th, Dr. Shengming Yang, former director of Guizhou Province Tourism Bureau, and Dr. Xiaosong Zhang, Dean of the School of International Tourism and Culture of Guizhou Normal University, gave a lecture on Minority Groups in Mountainous Guizhou at Presbyterian College. The lecture introduced Guizhou and in particular, the diverse cultures of the minority groups there by presenting the geography, history as well as the traditions of minority groups such as Miao and Dong. The traditional paper-making technique and the costumes of Miao people have attracted the most interest of the American students and teachers at PC. The students are particularly interested in trying the Miao outfit on with the unique silver. After the lecture, the communication between Dr. Zhang and the audience has further enhanced the students’ understanding of the people and culture of Guizhou.

At 7pm on Jan 25th, a movie, Close to the Sun, directed by Chouchou Ou was shown at Edmunds Hall at PC. Ou was born in the 1980s and is a Dong herself. This movie is her second production and has won several awards including Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography, and The Audience Favorite Film at the 17th Annual Sedona International Film Festival. The audience came from Presbyterian College, the local communities of Clinton and also the neighboring cities and towns such as Laurens, Greenville and Spartanburg. Mr Eric Kerchner, the administrative official at Greenville Peace Centre, came, too, and expressed his intention to get the permit to show this movie at their center. Prior to the movie, a dance instructor, Yuanyuan Tu, from the Art College at Guizhou University gave the audience a Miao dance performance, Aqua Girl. Her elegant dance and the tinkling Miao silver brought the audience closer to the ethnic culture in Guizhou. After the 90-minute movie, there was a Q&A session with the director Ou and this active exchange has once again made American friends yearning for a trip to Guizhou to see for themselves how the minority group live in the heavenly-like mountains.

On Jan 26th and 27th, accompanied by the Chinese instructors at PCCI, the dance instructor Yuanyuan Tu held three dance workshops at Presbyterian College, Greenville Tech Charter High School and Converse College at Spartanburg. She not only performed the dance Aqua Girl, but also taught some of the basic dance moves in Chinese folk dance to the students and teachers. The workshops and the communication between Tu and the American students has made them more interested in Chinese folk dance and has expanded the influence of Chinese folk culture.

This Guizhou Cultural Week has been a cultural exchange that lasted the longest period of time and influenced the widest range of American audience since the founding of the Confucius Institute at Presbyterian College. Local media such as The Laurens County Advertiser had special bulletin for this event. The success of this Guizhou Cultural Week has on one hand greatly aroused local Americans interest in Chinese culture, especially the ethnic culture and on the other, expanded the influence of the Confucius Institute among the local communities. With the event as a lead, Dr. Shengming Yang, Dr. Xiaosong Zhang and director Chouchou Ou went to another eight universities such as Kennesaw State University, University of Maryland, University of California(Berkley), the Ohio State University, etc. in different states of the United States such as Georgia, Virginia, Washington D.C. and New York. Their tour aims at widening the influence of Guizhou in America, promoting the exchanges between Guizhou and America in culture, education, business and other areas and providing a good foundation for people from all walks of life in the U.S. to travel, make investments and conduct economic and cultural communications.