Global Confucius Institute Day celebrated in Sofia

SOFIA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Confucius Institute in Sofia celebrated on Saturday the Global Confucius Institute Day for the third consecutive year.

During the nearly four-hour event held in the institute's courtyard, visitors received lessons in Chinese language, saw the magic of Chinese calligraphy, and tasted Chinese green tea.

Meanwhile, traditional Chinese gymnastics and Taiji were presented on the background of a photo exhibition titled "China Through the Eyes of Bulgarians."

The event ended with the announcement of the winners of a competition for the translation of contemporary Chinese poetry.

More than 500 Confucius Institutes and over 1,000 Confucius Classrooms have been established around the world, according to officials.

Confucius Institute in Sofia was established in 2006. Last year, it opened its new building and became one of the 14 model Confucius Institutes worldwide.