The 3rd China-Liberia Wushu Exchange and Performance Held in Liberia

On January 6th local time, the 3rd China-Liberia Wushu Exchange and Performance, sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Liberia and organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia, was held at the Liberia-China Wushu School as scheduled. Sylvester Grigsby, Minister of State of Liberia, Saah Charles N'Tow, Minister for Youth and Sports of Liberia, Zhang Yue, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, Fred J. A. Pratt, President of Liberia National Wushu Association and other guests attended the event.

Zhang Yue vividly explained the connotation of Wushu (martial arts) in his speech. Chinese Wushu serves as a favorable bridge for promoting justice, safeguarding peace and establishing friendships. He said that the China-Liberia Wushu Exchange and Performance well combines the interest of the young people in Liberia with the learning of Chinese Wushu culture, which played a positive role in promoting the cultural exchanges between the two peoples.

N'Tow, Grigsby and Pratt respectively pointed out in their speeches that the essence of Chinese Wushu is to keep fit, pursue harmony and health of self, and seek social harmony and stability. China-Liberia Wushu exchanges are of positive significance to understanding both Chinese culture and Liberian culture. They also expressed their gratitude to the Confucius Institute for its efforts in this event.

N'Tow, Zhang Yue, Pratt and Huang Boqing, Chinese President of the Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia inaugurated the Liberia-China Wushu School.

Guests inaugurating the Liberia-China Wushu School

Later on, the fifth Chinese peacekeeping police team to Liberia, the Liberia National Wushu Association and the Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia jointly presented a wonderful Wushu exchange and art performances. The police team’s martial art show amazed the audience, winning rounds of applause with the performance of Tai Chi, boxing, cudgel play, sword fighting techniques, military and police fighting shows, etc. The performance by members of the Liberia National Wushu Association made a big splash, showing great skills of martial arts in an all-round way. Confucius Institute teachers and students offered the dance “The Coolest Ethnic Trend” and “Body on Taret”, pushing the atmosphere to a new high.

The police team performing Wushu

Members of Liberia National Wushu Association performing Wushu

In the interactive session, the audience came to the stage to exchange views with coaches of Liberia-ChinaWushu School and learned about self-defense skills as well as five-step boxing.

After the event, Zhang Yue and Pratt friendly talked with teachers and students of the Confucius Institute. Zhang Yue highly praised the activities organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia and expressed his hope that the Confucius Institute can better spread Chinese culture and well tell the Chinese story through Wushu. Pratt extended gratitude to the Confucius Institute for holding the martial art exchange, and called for more Liberian youth to join the team of learning Wushu.

The Wushu exchanging event promoted the cultural exchanges between China and Liberia, and deepened the friendship between the two countries all while expanding the influence of the Confucius Institute in Liberia at the same time.