The University of Macau (UM) announced in a Tuesday statement that students and faculty from the public university’s Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC) attended the Confucius Memorial Ceremony at Hunan University (HNU) last month to commemorate the 2,576th anniversary of the philosopher’s birth, as part of a cultural exchange trip aimed at deepening their understanding of traditional Chinese culture.
HNU is a national public university located in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province.
The opening ceremony of the exchange programme was held at Yuelu Academy, where Gong Yingxue, associate master of CYTC, and Xiao Yongming, dean of Yuelu Academy, delivered speeches that recognised the significance of the exchange programme, the statement said.
According to the statement, during the visit, CYTC members took part in the traditional Confucius memorial ritual alongside students and faculty from HNU.
Beyond the ceremony, participants visited several historic and cultural sites in Hunan, the statement said, adding that at the former site of Shiwu College, they were taught about the patriotic aspirations of late Qing Dynasty intellectuals, while at the First Normal School of Hunan, they were told about Mao Zedong’s early academic life.
The group also visited the Orange Isle scenic area and attended a lecture by Li Yixuan, assistant professor at HNU, on the history of Yuelu Mountain during the Six Dynasties period.
The exchange programme aimed to strengthen ties between the two universities and foster mutual appreciation of Chinese heritage, the statement said, adding that Yuelu Academy is expected to send its students to visit CYTC in Macau in August next year, with the goal to continue the spirit of academic and cultural exchange.
This undated handout photo provided by the University of Macau (UM) on Tuesday shows students from the public university’s Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC) attending the Confucius Memorial Ceremony at Hunan University (HNU) in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province.
