MSU CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE OPENS NEW CHINESE CULTURE EXPERIENCE CENTER

On September 12 MSU Confucius Institute held the official opening of its new Chinese Culture Experiencing Center. Confucius Institute Director Mr Lin Hayoe (pictured left) was on hand to personally welcome every guest to the event which auspiciously coincided with traditional Chinese Mid Autumn Festival celebrations.

The Chinese Culture Experience Center is located in the Confucius Institute building in MSU downtown campus.

Although not a large exhibition, the center contains an array of examples of Chinese cultural items exhibited in an atmosphere which is purely Chinese; a little piece of China in the middle of Mahasarakham, if you will.

Besides the immaculately presented static exhibits there is also a wall of large interactive touch screens providing a huge amount of information on China. It is felt these screens will be a huge hit with visiting schoolchildren (of all ages).

After the speeches and tour of the exhibition guests were treated to a Mid Autumn Festival Eve Party stage show which included traditional Chinese dance blended with a mixture of modern song and dance.

Invited guests were also presented with Chinese moon cakes which are traditionally presented to friends during the mid autumn festival. 

There is a Chinese folk tale which entails the overthrow of Mongol rule ending the Yuan Dynasty in China in the mid 14^th Century. Ming revolutionaries spread a rumour of a deadly plague spreading - the only method of prevention being to eat special moon cakes (apparently Mongols did not eat moon cakes). Therefore moon cakes became a very popular food item. The catch was Ming revolutionaries were sending secret messages inside the moon cakes to coordinate the Han Chinese revolt which is fabled to have occurred on mid autumn, the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month.
The mid autumn festival is sometimes referred to as the Mooncake Festival.

Visitors are welcome to visit the Chinese Cultural Experience Center although it would be best to contact the MSU Confucius Center first (Phone: (66) 0- 4374-2824 or email: Mahakongzi@hotmail.com).
For visitors there is also beautiful small shaded park just outside the Confucius Center and a canteen located fifty metres away. A wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon.