Chinese Culture Workshops at the ‘Nikola Tesla’ Primary School

In honour of International Chinese Language Day, the Confucius Institute of the University of Banja Luka organised different Chinese culture workshops for the students of the ‘Nikola Tesla’ Primary School in Banja Luka on 24 April 2025.

This school’s sixth and seventh-grade students learned from the Confucius Institute teachers how to write Chinese characters, tie Chinese knots, and play the traditional Chinese instrument Gu Zheng.

In addition to the art of Chinese writing, Chinese calligraphy, which has been considered a supreme skill in China since ancient times and was equally valued as poetry as a form of artistic self-expression, the Chinese knot is an important element of Chinese culture. It is a decorative folk craft that has served as a written language for five thousand years of Chinese history. It has existed since before language itself emerged.

The Chinese recorded everyday events by tying knots of various sizes on a string. They tied large knots for important events and smaller knots for less important events. The history of Chinese knots is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and the word "knot" itself in Chinese means strength, harmony, and gathering, which is why this ancient art flourished over a long period and is today a symbol of happiness and prosperity in the culture of the Chinese people.

The curious students were particularly interested in the ancient Chinese musical instrument Gu Zheng, which was created more than 3,000 years ago, through which we can hear and feel the sounds and magnificence of nature.