Confucius Institute Celebrates the Chinese New Year

On 17 February 2026, the Confucius Institute at the University of Banja Luka celebrated the Chinese New Year at the Student Cultural Centre of the University of Banja Luka with different performances and awarding of prizes to the winners of the literary contest organised for secondary school students on the topic "The Red Fire Horse - a Symbol of Courage, Energy and Freedom".

The aim of the contest, announced in December last year, was to engage and inspire all the secondary school students to write about this topic and submit their stories.

A total of 39 students took part in this contest. Katarina Radić, a third-grade student at the “Vaso Pelagić” Grammar School in Brčko, won the first prize, Sara Ćudić, a fourth-grade student at the “Dr Mustafa Kamarić” Grammar School in Gračanica, the second, and Jovan Travar, a second-grade student at the “Blaženi Ivan Merc” Catholic School Centre, the third prize.

The Confucius Institute also awarded two shortlisted works by Arijana Kosić, a second-grade student at the Banja Luka Grammar School, and Viktor Babić, a second-grade student at the Gradiška Technical School. All works, presented as part of this year’s programme prepared in collaboration with the Sinology students and the Student Cultural Centre of the University of Banja Luka, were to contain motifs of Chinese culture, with an emphasis on the symbolism of the Year of the

Fire Horse, which signifies new beginnings, opportunities for growth and broadening of horizons, in which we find our own direction. The best works were selected by an expert jury consisting of: Prof. Sanja Macura, PhD, Prof. Mijana Kuburić Macura, PhD, and Asst. Prof. Bojana Pavlović, PhD, from the Faculty of Philology, University of Banja Luka. As part of the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the Confucius Institute also organised the opening and presentation of an exhibition of valuable Chinese postage stamps the following day, at the Student Cultural Centre of the University of Banja Luka, which will be open until 27 February 2026.

The Chinese New Year (守岁 / shǒu suì), also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China that marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Today, it is celebrated not only in China, but in many cities around the world in the form of Chinese traditional and modern cultural and artistic events. Such celebrations provide an opportunity for other nations to experience the charm of Chinese tradition and culture. The Chinese New Year will last from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027.