Xinhua Net, London, October 31 (Reporter Ma Guihua): A large-scale British Language Exhibition was opened in London on October 31. Chinese Confucius Institutes displayed all aspects of Chinese teaching at the exhibition.

On the afternoon of 31, Xu Jialu, former Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Xu Lin, Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in Britain cut the ribbon to begin the “Chinese Fesitval” held by the Chinese booth. Representatives from many Confucius Institutes in Britain attended the opening ceremony.

During the 3-day language exhibition, the Confucius Institute Headquarters held activities such as an international Chinese teaching resources exhibition and Confucius Institute promotion at the red Chinese booth. A total of more than 100 Chinese materials covering textbooks, culture, business, audio-video, multimedia and internet, sent by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Great Wall Chinese, were displayed at the booth. Multi-media and network teaching products such as “My Chinese Picture Dictionary”, “Everyday Chinese”, “KuaiLe Hanyu”, “Chinese Paradise” as well as “Great Wall Chinese”, permitted Chinese lovers more choices in convenience, interaction and readability.

During the exhibition, representatives from the Confucius Institute for Business, London, the Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh, the Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine, London, the Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield, the Confucius Institute at the University of Wales, Lampeter, and the Confucius Classroom at Kingsford Community School, introduced basic facts about Confucius Institutes in Britain and organized lively demonstrations such as Chinese dance and song, painting, Kungfu, Chinese teaching, which attracted a great number of visitors.

On the evening of 31, Kristofer Schipper, a Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Leiden University gave a lecture on “Chinese Food and Civilization”, introducing the nutrition and tonic effect of Chinese food and suggested the audience try to understand China from Chinese food. The lecture attracted more than 100 people and was held in a warm atmosphere.

The British Language Exhibition is the largest teaching and language exhibition in Britain. There are 160 exhibitors who participate in the events and more than 80 lectures were given free of charge.