Confucius Institute hosts Moon Festival

9/16/08 - Approximately 100 people enjoyed Chinese food, poetry, music, dancing, and martial arts at the University of Rhode Island Confucius Institute's first annual Chinese Moon Festival."This event is a time to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival, the equivalent of the American Thanksgiving, where families gather for reunions," said the institute's director and URI professor Yan Ma in a press release. "Our festival also celebrates the first anniversary of URI's Confucius Institute and welcomes students and faculty to URI, especially those . who come to the university for its Chinese programs."

URI President Robert L. Carothers was presented with a leadership award, named in his honor, for his involvement in the creation of the institute. Professor Ma remarked on the president's administration practices before he accepted the award.

"President Carothers has a special attraction for leaders," she said.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts also spoke at the event, praising the Confucius Institute's many accomplishments during its first year at URI. She also congratulated Ma for her involvement in the festival and the institute's continued progress towards cultural understanding.

"What a wonderful evening, and I look forward to coming back year after year and celebrating this tradition, the Moon Festival," Roberts said. "A tradition not familiar to most Americans, and one of the great things about the Confucius Institute is that it brings a connection to Chinese culture and history . to this university and therefore, hopefully, to many of us throughout the state."

Performances at the festival included a traditional Lion Dance from the Rhode Island Association of Chinese Americans Kung Fu Club, during which intense drumming filled the room as children fed lettuce to the dancing lion. This was believed to help bring about good harvests in the fall.

Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Dougan introduced some of the new Chinese students and faculty to the audience, giving a brief description of each teacher and student's academic accomplishments.

"The advent of the Confucius Institute in Rhode Island has been, as they say, a game changer," said Carothers. "It is a new effort on behalf of the university to fully engage the Chinese community here in Rhode Island and New England, but also to bring to our students an opportunity to learn about, to work with [and] to be a part of the rising economic power in the world."

One interesting spectacle of the show was the Metal Chain (also called a steel whip), Tai Chi and Taiji Sword demonstrations. Wang Anling preformed all three displays, with long and flowing arcs and thrusts for the sword and amazing control of swinging circular strikes with the chain. The chain was traditionally used in the battlefield as a multi-purpose weapon. It could effectively stun a crowd of soldiers with its lasso-like rotations, but also could be used for a specific target by refocusing the circular momentum of the chain into a singular lateral direction. Much like the rock sling David used to defeat Goliath, the chain builds momentum by swinging in a fast circle and then is released in the direction of the target.

Wang also performed a Tai Chi form and breathing exercise. The breathing exercise is one of the more important aspects of Tai Chi, as it is believed to center one's chi, or living energy, in order to be focused into movements and strikes. While many may consider it a benign form of exercise and stretching, like Yoga, people forget that it is still a martial art and its ultimate purpose is for self-defense, not health benefits.