The Confucius Institute has had a busy start to 2017.

The Confucius Institute has had a busy start to 2017. On 1 February our new group of 57 Mandarin Language Assistants (MLAs) from Xiamen University and 14 other Chinese universities were warmly welcomed onto Victoria University's Te Herenga Waka Marae.  Following orientation and training, the MLAs travelled to their schools which are located in the large region stretching from Wellington to the Bay of Plenty. They arrived in time to enjoy Waitangi Day before starting their Chinese teaching support duties.

Those MLAs based in the Wellington region joined our Confucius Institute staff in Chinese New Year festivities on the Wellington waterfront on Sunday 12 February.  We celebrated the richness of Chinese music with visitors to the Confucius Institute pavilion at the TSB Arena, introducing them to the intricacies of three famous stringed instruments – the guzheng, erhu and pipa.

Chinese New Year celebration at Allington in Wellington where MLA Zhang Jingwen played the erhu.

Chinese music was also the theme of the Confucius Institute float in the Chinese New Year parade that unfolded in a (rare) burst of Wellington sunshine.

We wish to thank the principals, staff and students of our 139 partner schools, ten of which are Confucius Classrooms, for hosting the Mandarin Language Assistants this year. The Confucius Institute’s MLA Programme has grown from strength to strength, not just in the lower North Island but also in Auckland and the South Island, laying useful foundations for Chinese language teaching and learning in New Zealand.

维多利亚大学孔子学院与惠灵顿市民共庆中国年

2月11日-12日，维多利亚大学孔子学院参加惠灵顿市持续2天的多项欢庆中国年的活动，孔院以中国民族乐器为主题的各项精彩表演，令2017年的春节年味十足。

11日上午，孔院首先加入了惠灵顿市政府公房署的新年活动，惠灵顿市长、副市长、市议员、中国大使馆参赞、中国文化中心主任、孔院的副院长，以及社区居民出席均参与其中。今年赴任在Te Aro 小学任教的孔院汉语助教张静文为社区市民献上了一曲二胡独奏“赛马”。静文完美地表现了该曲目的磅礴的气势和奔放的旋律，不仅展示了中国民族乐器的丰富表现力，也充分展示了中国民族音乐的魅力。演出结束后，静文发现，周围已经围上了不少粉丝，纷纷咨询二胡和其他中国乐器的学习。

当晚，孔院院长、教师、汉语助教陆续加入了惠灵顿市在TSB银行大厦举办的“East Meets West” 欢乐春节系列活动。

12日上午，孔院在专设的中国民族乐器主题展上呈现了传统乐器二胡、琵琶、古筝。孔院的汉语助教不仅分别独奏各自乐器的代表曲目，还共同合奏了几曲，展示各种乐器的音乐特色和魅力。孔院的音乐展示台前，人群涌动，纷纷上前询问、体验。

孔院还专设了茶席，提供了福建的大红袍、铁观音、白茶等，供市民品鉴。

在TSB银行大厦的舞台上，孔院的汉语助教王玉晓和张静文分别用古筝和二胡独奏了“渔舟唱晚”和“赛马”。这两位助教今年还将支持新西兰音乐学院新开设的中国音乐乐器课程。

同台演出的还有维大孔院下属孔子课堂。塞缪尔.马斯丹孔子课堂的女生们表演了中国傣族舞蹈《竹林深处》，玛格丽特皇后高中女生们又唱又跳地表演了“青春修炼手册”。

12日下午的游行中，孔院花车上的15位姑娘再次展示中国民族乐器：二胡、琵琶、古筝、葫芦丝、笛子、埙、陶笛等。

孔院下属惠灵顿塞缪尔.马斯丹孔子课堂的女生们也出现在游行赱街的队伍。惠灵顿市民看到洋人姑娘们身着中国民族服饰，载歌载舞，都纷纷举起手中的相机。

此外，在孔院教学点的近140所学校中，其中10所是孔院下属孔子课堂，孔院新到的57名汉语助教受到热烈欢迎，他们会向新西兰的学生介绍中国年。Three here to teach Mandarin

孔院的影响力越来越广，在春节期间理事长和院长多次受到新西兰政府各部门和机构的邀请，共庆中国年。孔院自成立以来，每年参加当地春节活动已成为年度常规项目。

供稿：杨晓清

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