On 12 February 2026, Chinese language teachers Xu Meng and Qiu Shuzhen from the Confucius Institute of Artois were invited to conduct Chinese cultural workshops at Anne Frank Middle School in Dourges. The event lasted over two hours and was attended by approximately 40 secondary school students.
Mr.Xu Meng led the ink-blowing plum blossom painting workshop. First, Mr. Xu guided the students in reciting Wang Anshi's poem ‘Plum Blossoms’: ‘A few branches of plum blossoms by the wall, Braving the cold, blooming alone. From afar, I know it is not snow, For a subtle fragrance drifts by.’ He then briefly outlined the steps for creating ink-blown paintings. Subsequently, under Mr. Xu's guidance, the students followed the instructions to create their works using ink, straws, and pigments. Finally, the students stamped their artwork with traditional Chinese seals bearing the characters ‘平安’ (peace) or ‘草木之间’ (amongst the grass and trees). Thus, each unique winter plum blossom painting was completed.
Ms Qiu Shuzhen's Chinese tea ceremony commenced with an exploration of the Chinese character for “tea” (茶), offering a concise overview of tea's dissemination, the six major tea categories, the proverbial “firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea” (柴米油盐酱醋茶), and the cultural association of tea with the arts of Guqin music, Chinese Go, Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, poetry, wine, and flowers (琴棋书画诗酒花茶). She engaged students in interactive exchanges from a Sino-French cross-cultural perspective. Subsequently, Ms. Qiu demonstrated the brewing process for Anxi Tieguanyin tea, instructing students in the requisite gestures and terminology for tea appreciation. Participants experienced the five key stages of tea tasting. Timed to coincide with the pre-Spring Festival period, Ms. Qiu presented the students with panda-shaped bookmarks inscribed with the character for ‘福’ (blessing), adding festive cheer to the workshop. Students were delighted to receive these thoughtful gifts.
This Chinese cultural event was warmly welcomed by the Chinese language class teacher Ms. Li Xuanman and her students. The school's principal, vice-principal and librarian also made a special visit to observe and learn.
