On 29 November 2025, Xu Meng, Chinese language teacher at the Confucius Institute of Artois, was invited to attend the Open Day event at Sainte-Marie high school in Lille. His participation aimed to support enrolment efforts for the high school-level Chinese elective programme. The event commenced at 9:00 am and lasted three and a half hours, attracting approximately one hundred students and parents.
Mr. Xu demonstrated and explained Tai Chi to attendees, inviting interested participants to learn. Accompanied by the song ‘The Wild Geese’ as background music, he performed the 18-form Chen-style Tai Chi for students and parents. Subsequently, he provided a concise overview of Tai Chi theory, its characteristics and benefits, followed by interactive discussions. Mr. Xu repeatedly invited selected students and parents to learn fundamental and classic Tai Chi movements. During the process, he guided them in chanting the numbers ‘one, two, three, four...’ in Chinese to help them experience the pronunciation of Chinese and stimulate their interest in learning.
This open day event was warmly received by the school's staff, students and parents, sparking their interest in Chinese culture and language. It has contributed to the sustainable development of Chinese language education at the school.