ACCRA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Learners at the University of Ghana Basic School in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, engaged in cultural activities on Wednesday to mark the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana (CIUG) organized the celebration, which included online interaction between learners in Ghana and their counterparts in China, poetry and song rendition in both English and Mandarin, and learning about the festival's significance.
The learners from both sides also exchanged gifts of postcards inscribed with felicitations of the important cultural festive occasion. They also used the occasion to design Chinese cultural fans with simple materials, adorned with various classic Mid-Autumn symbols.
Chinese Director of the CIUG Liu Baijun described the festival as an important occasion for family reunions among Chinese, adding that the celebration acted as a bridge between the learners in Ghana and their counterparts in China.
"This year, 2026, marks the year of Africa-China people-to-people exchanges. So, 2026 is a crucial year. During this activity, when pupils from China and students from Ghana play and participate together, it helps them build friendships," Liu said.
As part of the celebration, CIUG also signed a memorandum of understanding with some institutions, including the library of Deqing County in China's Zhejiang Province, the library of Zhejiang University of Technology, the Chinese-funded Greenhouse International Development Group and Golden TV Limited, to cooperate in promoting Chinese language and culture learning in Ghana.
A new virtual Chinese language learning center, equipped with TV sets donated by Greenhouse, was also inaugurated at the University Basic School to enhance access to Chinese language education.
"The Confucius Institute in Legon has been doing well. They always request that our children participate in their programs, and I also make time for them, and they've never disappointed us when we take the children there," said Harriet Takyiwah Darko, Chinese language coordinator for the University Basic School.
Ruth-Ane Aseda Attafuah, a learner in the school, expressed immense excitement about the festival celebration and her experience in Chinese learning.
"Today, we were learning about the Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. I find it intriguing. We were taught how to make fans. It was fun, and I would like to do it over and over again," Attafuah added.
