On the morning of September 26, local time, the Confucius Institute at Middle East Technical University (METU) held the event “Celebrating the 55th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Türkiye: Mid-Autumn Poetry Recital.” Ms. Zhou Meifen, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye, and Prof. Dr. Ömer Delialioğlu, Advisor to the President of METU and Co-Director of the Confucius Institute, attended the event. Reporters from Xinhua News Agency were also present to cover the event. Around 40 teachers and students from Middle East Technical University, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Ankara University, Chinese heritage language classes, Kavaklıdere Ortaokulu, Ankara Atatürk Lisesi, and Ayrancı Anadolu Lisesi Chinese class participated in the event. Against the backdrop of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Türkiye and in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the event featured Chinese poetry as a central element and included Hanfu fashion display, poetry recitation, Chinese song performances, poetry-based interactive activities, and traditional Chinese cultural experiences. It provided Chinese language learners in Ankara with a platform to showcase their learning achievements, experience the charm of Chinese culture, and promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange.
The event opened with a Hanfu fashion display. Dressed in traditional Hanfu, Chinese language learners entered the venue, showcasing traditional Chinese attire and creating a festive Mid-Autumn atmosphere. Students recited classic poems including “A Message to Someone Far Away on the Night of the Moon” and “Drinking Alone under the Moon.” Muhammed Admış, a philosophy student at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, recited his original poem “Gazing at the Moon from Mount Lu” and shared the story behind its creation. Inspired by the ancient Chinese story of Boya and Ziqi, known for the idiom “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” the poem combines the theme of profound friendship and understanding with the imagery of gazing at the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, expressing reflections on sincere friendship through Chinese poetry. The event also featured a “Moon” character poetry challenge, in which participants recited Chinese poems and experienced the charm of the Chinese language and classical Chinese poetry. The poetry recital concluded with all participants reciting “Spring River Flower Moon Night” together.
As part of the traditional cultural experience, the Confucius Institute organized activities in which participants painted traditional Chinese lacquer fans and made snow-skin mooncakes. Students personally decorated lacquer fans and prepared mooncakes, gaining first-hand experience of traditional Chinese handicrafts and Mid-Autumn Festival culinary culture. The event concluded with teachers and students enjoying mooncakes, Chinese tea, and Turkish specialties together in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere as they celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This event was not only a showcase of the students’ achievements in Chinese learning, but also a cultural event that promoted cultural exchange between China and Türkiye and fostered mutual understanding and friendship. The Confucius Institute at Middle East Technical University will continue to serve as a bridge for linguistic and cultural exchange by actively organizing diverse Chinese language teaching and cultural exchange activities, promoting greater mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and Türkiye, and telling the stories of China–Türkiye friendship.