On April 2, about 600 participants from USF and surrounding K-12 schools attended the third annual Chinese Culture Festival at the MSC Ballrooms. There were 18 booths or stations providing educational activities, including games and hands-on activities, ink brush calligraphy, Chinese Knot Making, Traditional Chinese Medicine, CI information, and 40 years of US-China relations. More than 200 K-12 students were highly engaged in the Scavenger Hunt that involved answering 8 questions and participating in 9 activities. Once the Scavenger Hunt was completed and the program sheet stamped, the Chinese character tian (heaven) emerged on the program. Thus the name “Discover the hidden Heaven!” Each participant got a Chinese snack and tea after completing a few items on the Scavenger Hunt.

The opening ceremony began around 11:00am, with a lion dance starting from the lobby of the Marshall Student Center up into the Ballrooms. Senior Vice President Dr. Holbrook delivered welcome remarks. Co-organizers Philip Bishop and Kun Shi made introductions, followed by the student event hosts Shuhan Liu and Victor Florez. The performances included martial arts from Mt. Song Martial Arts Academy, pipa music (by Jianghua Zou and Ann Roberts), Shandong Fast Tales (by Dr. Eric Shepherd), Chinese songs (by Tuofo Chen and students from Braden River High School), Acrobatics (by Li Li), and Story-telling (by Tina Danh). The event ended with a closing speech by Provost Wilcox and a Dragon Dance by the Honors College students.

The event was largely planned by Dr. Bishop of the Honors College and Kun Shi of the Confucius Institute, with support from their staff and students. Event co-sponsors include Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Chinese Culture and Language Club, and INTO USF. We are discussing earlier and better planning next year to attract more students from K-12 schools and colleges attending the 4th annual event.