Confucius Institute in Botswana starts culture tour to rural villages

Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana (CIUB) donates footballs to Mariba Junior Secondary School in Mabule, 260 km southwest of the capital city of Gaborone, May 8, 2015. CIUB on Friday began its week-long Chinese culture tour in the village bordering South Africa to the north. CIUB will visit schools across the country's rural areas. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

MABULE, Botswana, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana (CIUB) on Friday began its Chinese culture tour in a border village of southern Botswana.

The first stop of the week-long tour across the landlocked African country is Mariba Junior Secondary School in the village of Mabule, bordering South Africa to the north, located about 260 km southwest of the capital city of Gaborone.

Friday's activities started with self-introduction when both Botswana and Chinese members of CIUB introduced themselves in local language Setswana. More than 600 students of Mariba gave the visitors a warm welcome and rhythmic applauds which they called Mariba style.

Senior school staff of Mariba Motlasuping Tshweneetsile welcomed the visitors, saying Mabule is very far that once they have visitors they like to stay with them and share with them.

Director of CIUB Part Mgadla said CIUB which was established in 2009 is basically aimed to promote Chinese language and Chinese culture in Botswana, which is part of University of Botswana's internalization effort.

He told students it is better to prepare dealing with such an emerging economic power as China.

The CIUB team presented various kinds of culture performance like Chinese Martial Arts and Taichi, Peking Opera, Yangko dance, sword dance and fashion show.

Students of Mariba also joined activities of Chinese class, Chinese song, paper-cutting, Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese traditional games and chopstick competition with CIUB.

A 13-years-old student Masego Legoiwa told Xinhua she likes the activities, especially chopstick competition and martial arts, adding that she wants to be able to perform such skills when she grows up.

CIUB will visit schools across the country, including rural areas like Sojwe in the central, Maitengwe and Mapoka in the northeast bordering Zimbabwe. Dikgatlho junior secondary school close to the border with South Africa in eastern Botswana is also included in the schedule.

Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institution which aims to promote Chinese language and culture abroad.