UNILAG’s Confucius Institute Hosts Vibrant Celebration for China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival

The Confucius Institute at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) hosted a vibrant celebration of China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival on October 29, 2024, filling the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Hall with lively speeches, traditional songs, and captivating dances. The event showcased Chinese culture through performances by HSK students, and pupils from Redeemer’s International Secondary School, International School, University of Lagos (ISL), and other partnering schools, adding color to the festivities with traditional Chinese and Nigerian WAZOBIA dances.

The celebration drew a wide audience, including UNILAG’s management, Consuls Hua and Wu from the Chinese Consulate in Lagos, representatives from Chinese companies, Nigerian Immigration Services officials, and members of the university community. Representatives from several Chinese firms, including Anhui Chamber of Commerce, Henan Chamber of Commerce, and Red Star Steel, were also in attendance, highlighting the ongoing cultural and economic ties between China and Nigeria.

The event celebrated China’s National Day, marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, coincidentally shared with Nigeria’s Independence Day. Additionally, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, was commemorated, promoting cultural exchange and deepening connections between the two nations.

Founded in 2009, the Confucius Institute at UNILAG, a collaboration between the University of Lagos and Beijing Institute of Technology, fosters Chinese language education and cross-cultural engagement, continuing to serve as a bridge of friendship between Nigeria and China. https://unilag.edu.ng/?p=43935