On April 19, 2016, under a brilliant Montreal spring sun, the Confucius Institute in Quebec welcomed a new member of its team by inaugurating the Confucius Classroom at Collège Regina Assumpta.

Among the guests who participated in the inauguration was the President of the Confucius Institute in Quebec, Mr. Richard Filion, the Director of the Quebec Association of Private Schools, Mr. Jean-Marc St-Jacques, the Executive Director of the Confucius Institute in Quebec, Ms. Meng Rong, and Ms. Wei Sun, member of the Confucius Institute in Quebec Board of Directors. Also in attendance were the Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Montreal, Mr. Jingtao Peng, the Education Consul of the Chinese Consulate in Montreal, Mr. Sheng Xiong and Ms. Suli Yan.

Mr. Jingtao Peng, Mr. Richard Filion and the Director of Collège Regina Assumpta, Mr. Michel Laplante, gave warm speeches to mark this important moment and to congratulate the school as it embarks on this new adventure. Mr. Jingtao Peng and Mr. Richard Filion then unveiled the new signage for the Confucius classroom together, revealing an elegant Chinese calligraphy engraving. The room burst into applause and several pictures were taken to memorize this momentous occasion.

The inauguration ceremony was followed by a cocktail, accompanied by musicians playing traditional Chinese music. In a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere, guests exchanged their views on the cultures and pedagogical approaches of East and West and discussed the teaching of Mandarin in general. The guests were delighted by the presentation of one of the students of Collège Regina Assumpta, who presented his experiences of learning Mandarin to the guests and demonstrated his fluency by delivering a portion of his talk in Mandarin.

The opening of the Confucius Classroom at Collège Regina Assumpta was a success, as Mr. ​​Filion stated in his speech: “Thanks to all these small Confucius classrooms, the Mandarin language and Chinese culture are becoming popularized in Quebec. For us, each Confucius classroom and the students that comprise them are treasures. On behalf of the Confucius Institute in Quebec, we wish the Collège Regina Assumpta Confucius Classroom a great success. ”

To close the inauguration, Mr. Jingtao Peng summarized the history of educational and cultural exchanges between China and Canada, highlighting the invaluable contributions of the Confucius Institute in Quebec.