Key Information

Date & Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Saturday, 9 May 2026
Student Level: This workshop is suitable for both beginners and advanced students.

Location:
This class will be delivered in person at Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP.

Why Should I Take This Course?

Chinese brush painting is both a mental and physical exercise, requiring careful control of the brush while harmonising the mind and body. In this workshop, you will learn essential brush techniques to create expressive bird paintings. Traditional bird subjects such as orioles, magpies and cranes symbolise joy, good fortune and longevity in Chinese culture.

What Does It Cover?

This one-day workshop introduces the traditional techniques of Chinese brush painting, focusing on the use of soft brushes and ink to depict birds. The tutor will guide you step by step, offering the option to paint different bird subjects including orioles, magpies and cranes.

About the Teacher

The workshop will be led by Chi Zhang, a highly experienced instructor who was featured in the BBC documentary Loop – The Art of Chinese Brush Painting. Chi was shortlisted for Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2015, and his calligraphy was projected onto Edinburgh Castle during the 2015 Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

For more information and to explore Chi’s artwork, visit: www.chizhangartist.com

Cost: £40 (all materials included)

Booking & Further Information

To ensure an optimal learning experience, the class size is limited. Please register by using the Form HERE.

For additional information, or to arrange one-to-one tutorials or small group workshops, please email: info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk

We are pleased to continue supporting programmes running at The Hippodrome, Scotland’s number one ‘destination’ cinema and winner of Best Cinema Experience in Scotland 2019.

Anna May Wong gives one of the most compelling screen performances of her career as a woman tormented by unrequited love.

Song (named in a nod to Anna May Wong’s birth-name, Wong Liu Tsong) is washed-up on the shore of Constantinople where she is rescued by artist-in-exile John. With nowhere else to turn, Song persuades her saviour to take her in, quickly making herself indispensable by joining John’s knife-throwing act. Despite Song’s tender care and loyalty, John remains devoted to an old flame: a self-centred ballerina who broke his heart years before.

Anna May Wong quit Hollywood, and its relentlessly stereotyped casting in secondary roles, to work on this film in the thriving German cinema industry. While once again cast as the exotic ‘other’, she is the undisputed star of this picture, bringing extraordinary depth and dignity to a role written expressly for her.

Screening material courtesy of Filmmuseum Düsseldorf.

Tickets can be purchased HERE

Screening material courtesy of Filmmuseum Düsseldorf.

We are excited to announce that our annual Chinese Speech Contest will take place on Friday the 8^th May. This year’s theme is “Building Bridges Through Chinese Language” This competition aims to encourage participants to showcase their Chinese language speaking skills and promote cultural learning. We welcome everyone who meets the criteria to join us in this exciting event!

When: 1pm-4pm, Friday, 8th May, 2026

Where: The Confucius Institute for Scotland, Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP.

Theme: Building Bridges Through Chinese Language

Format: Participants will be required to deliver a 3-minute speech in Mandarin on the topic of Building Bridges Through Chinese Language, including a brief self-introduction.

Who: Eligible contestants must be over 14 years old and learning Chinese as a foreign language. Native speakers of Mandarin Chinese are not eligible.

How:

The judging panel will score based upon the following criteria:

• Content: Contestants will be judged on the relevance of their speech to the theme, the clarity of their central message, the logical structure of their presentation, and the depth or originality of their ideas.
• Vocabulary and grammar: Vocabulary and grammatical structures should be appropriate and varied. Absolute grammatical perfection is not required; minor errors are acceptable provided they do not impede communication, and that the speech demonstrates genuine use of Chinese rather than reliance on English language structures.
• Fluency and pronunciation: Contestants should demonstrate the ability to speak at a natural pace with reasonable fluency, without excessive reliance on memorisation. Pronunciation and tones should be clear and sufficiently accurate to be understood by a native speaker of Mandarin.
• Delivery and stage presence: Judges will consider the overall performance of the contestant, including confidence, eye contact, body language, and audience engagement. Speakers are allowed to bring notes to the contest, but an extra score will be added to contestants who deliver their speech without notes.

How to Register:

Download the registration form HERE. The deadline to apply is Friday 10th April 2026 at 17:00

Please return the completed registration form to info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk by Friday, 10th April.

Awards and Prizes

Each contestant will receive one of the following awards based upon their performances:

First Place: £100 gift voucher plus a certificate

Second Place: £75 gift voucher plus a certificate

Third Place: £50 gift voucher plus a certificate

Participation Award: Each of the contestants will receive a participation certificate and a gift.

Further Information:

Please get in touch by email info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk if you have any further questions.

Key Information

Date: Thursdays, 26 February; 5, 12, 19, 26 March
Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm

Student Level: Suitable for beginners and advanced learners. Ideal as a follow-up for students who attended previous calligraphy courses. All practise materials will be new for this block.

Location: Confucius Institute for Scotland, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP

Why take this course?

This course introduces the essential techniques of Chinese soft-brush writing, guiding participants through the fundamental strokes of Clerical and Running script styles.

Chinese calligraphy is one of the oldest and most revered visual art forms in China. The practise is calming, relaxing, and meditative—beneficial for well-being and longevity. Mastering the pointed soft brush offers both mental focus and physical coordination.

What does the course cover?

• Brush handling and ink control
• Techniques for Clerical (隶书) and Running Script (行书)
• Stroke order, structure, and stylistic variations
• Demonstrations, guided practice, and personalised critique

About the Teacher

Led by Chi Zhang, featured in the BBC documentary The Art of Chinese Brush Painting and guest artist on Sky TV’s Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (2024).

Website: www.chizhangartist.com

Fees

• 1 class – £25
• 2 classes – £45
• 3 classes – £65
• 4 classes – £80
• 5 classes – £100

All specialist materials are included, along with Chinese tea during the break.

Please register by using the form HERE.

One-to-one tutorials and small-group workshops available. Email: info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk

Date & Time: Thursday, 12 February, 4:30pm – 6:30pm

(Please arrive by 5:00pm. The door will close promptly at 5:00pm and late entry will not be possible)

Celebrate Chinese New Year with creativity!
Create your own Fu (福) – the character for Good Luck or Good Fortune – traditionally displayed during the New Year for blessings and positivity.

This beginner-friendly session introduces the basics of Chinese calligraphy using soft brushes and ink. Practising calligraphy is calming, meditative, and supports well-being by harmonising the mind and body.

Spaces are limited – please register by using the form HERE.

Key Information

Date:  Wednesdays, 28 January; 4, 11, 18, 25 February
Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm

Student Level:
Suitable for complete beginners and those with previous experience. Each session is designed to support you at your own pace and help you build confidence in core techniques.

Location:
 Confucius Institute for Scotland, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP

Why take this course?

Winter landscapes are one of the most poetic themes in Chinese brush painting, drawing on a thousand-year artistic tradition. Using soft brushes, ink, and mineral colours, you will learn how to create atmospheric snowy scenes in the style of the Chinese old masters.

Through guided demonstrations and step-by-step instruction, you’ll experience the meditative flow of brushwork and discover how expressive, elegant results can be achieved with simple, refined strokes.

What will I learn?

• Fundamental techniques of Chinese brush painting
• How to use traditional tools: brush, ink, colour, and Xuan paper
• Basic strokes, brush pressure control, and composition
• Cultural and historical background of Chinese landscape painting
• How to create your own winter-themed artwork

About the Teacher

The course is led by Chi Zhang, an experienced instructor and artist featured in the BBC documentary The Art of Chinese Brush Painting and guest artist on Sky TV’s Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (Episode 5, 2024).

Website: www.chizhangartist.com

Fees

• 1 class – £25
• 2 classes – £45
• 3 classes – £65
• 4 classes – £80
• 5 classes – £100

All specialist materials are provided, including Chinese ink, traditional animal-hair brushes, and Xuan paper. Chinese tea will be served during the break.

Please register by using the form HERE.

One-to-one tutorials and small group workshops are also available.

Email: info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk

Join us this Friday to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with poetry and mooncakes!

We will explore the moon featured in selected Chinese and English language poetry and we will have poetry readings in both languages. Our special guest will be Jennifer Williams, a poet (www.jlwilliamspoetry.co.uk) and Creative Projects Manager at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (efi.ed.ac.uk/people/jennifer-williams/).

The event is free, all welcome! Find out more and book on Eventbrite HERE

Join us at the Confucius Institute for Scotland for a talk on the phenomenal success of Nezha 2, a recent Chinese animated film that took the global box office by storm upon its release on Chinese New Year Day, January 29, 2025. Quickly rising to become the highest-grossing animated film worldwide and securing the fifth place on the all-time global box office chart, Nezha 2 has captured widespread public attention. This presentation investigates the key factors behind the film’s commercial breakthrough, highlighting the ways it embodies the defining trends in contemporary world cinema. It also explores the film’s thematic complexity, particularly its dynamic interplay between youthful defiance and traditional familial obligations, an ideological contradiction central to the film’s broad appeal both within China and internationally.

*suitable for 16 year old and over

Event details: 

Time:  27/06/2025 5:00pm-7:30pm

Location: Abden House 1 Marchhall Crescent  EH16 5HP

Agenda:

5:00pm-5:15pm:  Welcome & refreshments

5:15pm-6:15pm:  Lecture by Dr Xuelin Zhou, University of Auckland

6:15pm-6:30pm:  Q&A chaired by Dr Xuelei Huang, University of Edinburgh

The talk will be followed by an opportunity to sample some cultural activities including: Chinese Calligraphy, Blow painting, Tie-dye crafting, and traditional Chinese games.

Dr. Xuelin Zhou is an Associate Professor in Media and Screen and Director of Confucius Institute at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Xuelin’s research is situated at the intersection of film studies and cross-cultural analysis, with a particular focus on Chinese-language film. His work concentrates on how film functions as a cultural and ideological medium, examining the ways in which filmic narratives engage with issues of identity, modernity and nationalism. Xuelin has published extensively on topics ranging from auteur film and genre movie to national and transnational cinema. He is the author of Young Rebels in Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Hong Kong University Press, 2007), Youth Culture in Chinese Language Film (Routledge, 2016), and Globalization and Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Palgrave, 2017).

The event is free, all are welcome, but booking is required.  Please reserve your place HERE 

We are delighted to announce our five-week online lunchtime language course – the Chinese Conversational classes will start again on Thursday, 29th May. These courses are for those who want to spend some dedicated time practicing and consolidating their Chinese conversation skills. It will help students with different language levels develop well-balanced speaking and listening competence by learning and applying Chinese communicative skills in a specific professional or cultural context.

The lunchtime online option aims to create a relaxed and fun learning environment for students to practice conversational skills without travel stress.

Please register by completing the Registration Form HERE 

We will notify registered students when the online payment link is ready.

Conversational Chinese – Elementary level 

Date: Thursday, 29th May – 26th June

Time: 12noon – 13:30

Duration: 5 weeks, 5 sessions (1.5 hour each session)

Class size: maximum of six students

Price: £50/£40

Location: Online via Zoom

Conversational Chinese – Intermediate level 

Date: Thursday, 29th May – 26th June

Time: 12noon – 13:30

Duration: 5 weeks, 5 sessions (1.5 hour each session)

Class size: maximum of six students

Price: £50/£40

Location: Online via Zoom

Are you interested in practising your Chinese conversational skills with a native speaker? 

Are you looking for Chinese and English language exchange outside the classroom?

If you answer YES our Online Bilingual Tandem is the perfect place for you!

Event dates: 26th February, 5th & 12th March

Time: 12oon – 13:00

Format: Online via Zoom

Booking: Please register via Eventbrite HERE