The “Discover China” Open Day, hosted by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Belfast, welcomed nearly 600 visitors – both Chinese and non-Chinese – to its first-ever outdoor public event on Saturday 27th June.

Celebrating both China’s rich cultural traditions and its modern development, the Open Day featured a wide range of interactive activities and exhibitions designed to engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Hands-on experiences included trying on traditional Chinese costumes, using chopsticks, tasting Chinese cuisine, writing Chinese calligraphy bookmarks, playing table tennis, and taking part in dragon dance and taiji demonstrations. Visitors also enjoyed traditional Chinese opera and the spectacular face-changing performance.

Alongside these activities, a series of exhibitions showcased Chinese books, the China Story Photography Exhibition, and new energy vehicles, offering visitors further opportunities to explore China’s cultural heritage, technological innovation, and contemporary development.

With its family-friendly atmosphere and diverse programme, the event provided an enjoyable and engaging introduction to Chinese culture for people from a wide range of communities across Northern Ireland.

Led by their tutor, Sharon Fan, a group of learners from Queen’s Language Centre’s Chinese language programme also attended the Open Day, experiencing Chinese language and culture beyond the classroom.

Hannah, a Queen’s graduate who completed her studies a couple of years ago but has continued learning with the Chinese programme ever since, described her exciting experience as follows:

There were many stalls set up with a different activity at each. We got free Chinese books (which are extremely useful as a learner of the language), got to participate in a chopsticks challenge, had our English names transcribed into Chinese characters, did the dragon dance together, watched cultural performances, and got to dress up in traditional Chinese Hanfu!

When you completed the cultural or traditional activity at each stall, you got a unique stamp. This was a fun addition to the day and you even got a small prize at the end for collecting them all.

Maeve particularly valued the opportunities for cultural exchange and personal engagement throughout the event. She reflected:

I feel like cultural exchange and language learning go hand in hand, so I was definitely excited to experience what was on offer. The many dancers and dragon performances were captivating to watch and I particularly loved seeing all the beautiful traditional Hanfu and how everyone, young and old, was enjoying dressing up! It felt like a little piece of China in Belfast…

Drawing on her travel experience in China last year, Hannah echoed Maeve’s observations about the value of authentic cultural engagement in a local setting:

Having travelled to China last year, I felt this was an excellent representation and showcase of Chinese culture and also a fantastic way for people new to it to experience and engage with it for the first time.

Leysley-Anne, also Queen’s graduate from School of Biological Sciences, also shared her thoughts:

I think my favourite thing about the day by far was the people’s encouragement, joy, and surprise when we attempted to speak to them in Mandarin. Even though our pronunciation and grammar were far from perfect, everyone we spoke to kindly encouraged us and were so patient, frequently having to repeat themselves when we didn’t quite understand. Experiences like this are truly encouraging when trying to learn a new language – especially one so difficult.

We left the day slightly sun burnt but very happy with a new sense of determination in learning Mandarin!

Hannah also echoed Leysley-Anne’s sentiments, paying tribute to the Consular staff:

All the staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly, and very receptive and supportive when I attempted to speak Chinese with them. This was extremely encouraging and motivating as a learner of the language.

An absolutely fantastic day, very well thought out and lots of fun! I’ll be keeping a keen eye out for any future events!