NEW YORK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at New York's Pace University marked its its two-year anniversary Friday with an open house event to introduce Chinese culture to students and local residents.
The event featured tours of the Confucius Institute, hands-on workshops and cultural activities. Participants were able to learn Chinese calligraphy on-site, practise Chinese martial art skills and chat in Chinese Corner, a weekly Chinese language and cultural gathering that allows non-native Chinese speakers to practice Chinese in a friendly and welcoming environment.
"New York City is a cosmopolitan city and it is so great to have the Confucius Institute here. We have the ability to learn Chinese language here and understand each other's cultures better," New York Council Member Vincent Gentile, who is taking a Chinese course at the Confucius Institute, told Xinhua.
Dr. Zhou Yanyu, associate director of the institute, said the Confucious Institute serves as a bridge to connect the East and the West.
"We hope to enable Chinese culture and language to reach out to more communities in New York to facilitate cross-cultural understanding between people in the United States and China," she said.
Founded in May, 2009, the Confucius Institute at Pace University was the first university-based institute of its kind in the city, integrating pedagogical, scholarly and professional expertise to promote U.S.-China cultural exchanges.
