Author: Justin Parry
There will be a Chinese Culture Festival in various parts of Tucson from September 22–30, which is free of charge. This festival, presented by The Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona, will include a variety of events that are targeted to promote knowledge and appreciation of China’s culture and language. These events will no doubt be a great opportunity for learning about China’s rich culture and long history. For your convenience, here is the breakdown of festival events for each day (more information can be found in the brochures for each event, which are available at http://confucius.arizona.edu/node/74):
Chinese Health Day (Saturday, September 22, from 8 a.m.–12 p.m)
This event will feature Martial Arts and Tai Chi masters from Shaolin, information about Chinese medicine, instruction on cooking Chinese dishes, complimentary zoo entrance, and more. Location: DeMeester Performance Center, Reid Park, Tucson, AZ 85716
Lecture I: Chinese Martial Arts (Sunday, September 23, from 3 p.m.–5 p.m.)
This event will feature a lecture on the history and development of Chinese Martial Arts by Masters Junmin Zhao and Junjie Feng from Shaolin, China, and a live demonstration of traditional Chinese weaponry. Location: UA Student Union, Ballroom South, 3rd floor
Lecture II: Traditional Chinese Music (Tuesday, September 25, from 11a.m.–12 p.m.)
This event will feature a lecture on ancient Confucius ceremony music and Lu-Nan traditional instrumental music by guest lecturer Professor Huiqing Cheng, visiting from Shandong University of Arts. Location: UA Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ 8572
Lecture III: Chinese Cinema & Director Wu Tianming (Wednesday, September 26, from 3:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.)
This event will feature a lecture on the Chinese movie director Wu Tianming and his films, with Professor and Scholar Tan Ye from the University of South Carolina. There will also be a free screening of the award-winning film “King of Masks” by Director Wu Tianming. Location: UA Student Union, Ballroom South, 3rd floor
Chinese Moon Festival Poetry Concert (Thursday, September 27, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m.)
This event will feature Chinese vocal and instrumental music, and a lecture on ancient Chinese poems of the Tang & Song Dynasties by UA Professors Brigitta Lee and Dian Li. Location: UA Poetry Center, College of Humanities, 1508 E. Helen Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Lecture IV: Recent Efforts in the Search for Remote Human Ancestors in China (Friday, September 28, from 12 p.m.–2 p.m.)
The event will feature a lecture on Chinese Archaeology, outlining recent efforts in the search for ancient human ancestors in China, by Professor Xing Gao, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Location: UA Student Union, Kiva Room, 2nd floor
Chinese Language Day (Saturday, September 29, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.)
This event will allow Tucson elementary, middle-high school, and college students to test their knowledge of Chinese during the Chinese Language Proficiency Competition; there will also be a chance to make traditional moon cakes, play Chinese games, and more. Location: Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 West River Road, Tucson, AZ 85704
Moon Festival Concert (Sunday, September 30, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m.)
This event will include Chinese traditional music, folk songs, and choral masterworks. Location: UA Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ 85721
The Confucius Institute has been a cosponsor of CERCLL’s 2012 and 2014 Intercultural Competence Conferences. The institute is committed to enhancing knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture and language. Here is the 
mission statement for The Confucius Institute, taken from their website:
” The Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona’s mission is to support the Hanban’s strategic plan by combining local characteristics, innovative methods, and an integrative approach to enhance people’s understanding and appreciation of Chinese language and cultural heritages. We aim to provide comprehensive training to Chinese language and culture teachers in general and disciplinary-specific English and pedagogies. Our institute’s focus is on Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts, Chinese music and Chinese performance arts in our education and outreach programs. CIUA will produce leaders who will in turn facilitate cultural and scientific exchanges between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.”
More information is available at the institute’s website, found here: http://confucius.arizona.edu. 