Welcoming Chinese New Year, Tourism Confucius Institute, Udayana University Holds Spring Festival 2023

The Tourism Confucius Institute (TCI) which is part of the Faculty of Tourism at Udayana University (Unud) held the Spring Festival 2023, Thursday (19/1/2023). The festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2574 was held in the Nusantara Room, Agrocomplex Building, Unud Sudirman Campus, Denpasar. At this festival, the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar, Zhu Xinglong, the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. Dr. Ir. I Nyoman Gde Antara, M.Eng., IPU, and a number of other invitees.

In his remarks, the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. I Nyoman Gde Antara said that this was the third time for Unud to hold a Spring Festival celebration (2574 Chinese New Year). The turn of the year is associated with the symbol of the animal according to the cycle of the Chinese Zodiac itself. As per the zodiac, this year is the Water Rabbit as a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. Thus, this year is predicted to be a year full of hope, peace and prosperity for all human beings in the world.

In 2023 it is also hoped that this will become a momentum for Unud to increase the number of collaborations in the fields of education, research, and international community service. Cooperation in the field of culture has been proven by the presence of art groups from Yunnan and Hainan Provinces at the Bali Arts Festival from 2016 to 2019. Until this year, Government to Government and University to University cooperation relations have been established between Bali and several provinces in China. Unud has also built a network of cooperation with two universities in China, namely Nanchang University and Nanchang Normal University in the establishment of TCI. "Hopefully, this collaboration can become an asset in the fields of education, culture, arts for both parties, and can restore post-Covid-19 Bali tourism," said Prof. Antara.

PRC Consul General in Denpasar, Zhu Xinglong conveyed that China and Indonesia relations are in the best period in history. This year, the cooperation between China and Indonesia has been very fruitful. Within half a year, the two heads of state had exchanged visits. In July, president Joko Widodo was the first foreign head of state to visit China after the Beijing Olympics. In November, President Xi Jinping visited Bali for the G20 Summit, making Indonesia the first country on his first visit after the CPC's 20th National Congress. The two countries continue to promote high-quality joint development of the "One Belt and One Road" and "World Maritime Axis" cooperation, and build flagship projects such as the "Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor" and "Two Garden Twin Countries" and others.

Following the continuous optimization of China's pandemic prevention policy in the near future, he believes that China-Indonesia exchanges will further progress and the understanding and friendship between the two peoples will deepen.

Meanwhile, the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism, Dr. I Wayan Suardana, SST.Par., M.Par explained that in this activity, almost all elements were involved, both lecturers and students. At the festival this time there was a special performance, namely the Kang Cing Wi dance. In the performance, the music that accompanies the dance is a collaboration between Chinese musical instruments and Balinese gamelan. "TCI was formed based on the background of the similarities between Chinese and Balinese culture. So at certain moments like today, we show the iconic dance collaboration Kang Cing Wi," explained the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism, Udayana University.

Director of Indonesia TCI Unud, Dr. Drs. I Made Sendra, MSi added, the spirit of tourism has actually existed from the past, such as marriage between two nations. From this marriage will emerge a cross of cultures. In Bali, the use of Uang Kepeng has been known since Jaya Pangus' marriage to Kang Cing Wi. "This cultural acculturation will always be a spirit for us to establish cooperative relations in the future," he added.