The 2026 Lunar New Year began on February 17th, marking the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, a rare and energetic 60-year cycle associated with passion, rapid progress, and intense, volatile changes.
On February 4th, we organized a lecture on Chinese cosmology for the first time and sought to understand how to grasp the quite complex Bazi system and the Five Elements for us Westerners.
On December 17, we broadcasted a lecture on Chinese avant-garde literature, presented by Indrė Balčikonytė-Huang, a translator of avant-garde writers Yu Hua and Can Xue, as well as a researcher of modern and contemporary Chinese literature.
On the cozy evening of December 3rd with a light winter chill, we dedicated our time to meditation. In the lecture "Meditation – A Step Toward Freedom," Dr. Dainius Butvilas, a medical science doctor and acupuncture specialist, spoke to us about meditation and its importance in traditional Chinese medicine.
Based on our audience's preferences, in October, 22nd we organized an online lecture on health topics and presented how to prepare the body for winter using principles from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and holistic living. The lecture was delivered by Professor Dalia Sekmokienė.
This wonderful autumn, from October 17th to 19th, we once again welcomed perhaps our most anticipated guest – Qi Xiaoting [Chi Shaoting], a Chinese-born Ukrainian artist, who conducted four Chinese painting and one Chinese calligraphy workshop at the institute.
We began the new 2025 academic year with engaging lectures on Chinese culture, one of which on 10th September was held at the A. Mickevičius Library. Attendees listened to a lecture titled "Garments, Accessories, and Body in Chinese Culture," delivered by Marta Logvyn, an art historian and exhibition curator at the National Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Art Museum in Kyiv.
Amidst the variety of autumn events, special attention was given to the lecture "Free Will, Luck, and Meaning: Chinese Philosophical Perspectives on Making Sense of our Lives" delivered by Professor Dr. Paul J. D'Ambrosio, a professor of Chinese philosophy that was held on September 11th.
On September 9th, our institute hosted a guest from Ukraine, Marta Logvyn, who is a leading research fellow at the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Art. She delivered two lectures, one of which focused on the concept of wealth in Chinese culture and its connections to spirituality.
It has become a lovely tradition in our institute to conclude the academic year with the Children's Chinese Language and Culture Summer Camp and this year the camp was open from June 30 to July 4.
Chinese traditions are closely tied to the seasons, each of which is unique in colors, sounds, and aromas. In Chinese culture, the beginning of summer is considered one of the most joyful, productive, and energetic periods. On June 13, we invited guests to come and welcome summer with the doors of the Confucius Institute wide open.
On 27th May, we listened to Dr. Loreta Poškaitė's lecture titled "Contemporary Chinese Youth and Its Subcultures" in a virtual setting. The lecture is relevant to individuals interested in modern Chinese society, particularly those studying sociology, cultural studies, or Asian studies. It addressed the multifaceted nature of youth identities, including conflicts with traditional values, governmental policies, and global influences.
On the 28th of May, the Vilnius University Confucius Institute held an online lecture. The lecture was lead by J. Asist. Balys Astrauskas, he is both a professor at Vilnius University and an expert in Chinese history and classical literature. The theme and title of the lecture was “Judge Bao and classical Chinese detective fiction”.
It has become a beautiful tradition to enhance the joy of spring with experiences of Chinese art, and from 9th to12th of May, together with Qi Xiaoting, a Ukrainian artist of Chinese origin, we organized as many as six creative workshops.
On the 15th of May a lecture was held at the Vilnius University Great Confucius Hall, which was led by Doc, dr. Vytis Silius, he is a sinologist, philosopher, translator as well as a researcher of Chinese thought and culture. The title of the lecture “Disciples of Confucius: the very first to tread the path of wisdom”.
On May 7th, we were delighted to present Professor Dalia Sekmokienė's lecture on preparing the body for summer according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Summer is associated with the element of fire, which, in Chinese medicine, governs the heart and small intestine channels.
During April 16th, commemorating International Chinese language day, we met online with professor dr. Lu Xiaohong, who is a lecturer at our partner university, the East China Normal University. During the meeting, Lu Xiaohong presented an interesting and vivid lecture, which is titled “Built in Characters: the Architecture of Chinese Script”.
On April 9, we listened to a remote lecture titled "Traditional Chinese Medicine: The Wind of Change – How Not to Break?", delivered by Dr. Dainius Butvilas, a physician and acupuncture specialist with a doctorate in medical sciences. Dr. Butvilas has interned in China at the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is currently actively practicing Chinese medicine techniques in Lithuania.
On the last Saturday of January, the Confucius Institute at Vilnius University was buzzing with children's excitement and enthusiasm, as the much-anticipated Chinese language and culture quiz took place.
On 20 January we had a virtual meeting with translator Indre Balčikonyte-Huang, who was awarded the Dominik Urba Prize in 2024 for her translation of Shuang Xuetao's (双雪涛, b.1983) short story collection "Rouge street" (2023) - one of the first translations of Chinese literature into Lithuanian, and the first translated work of the same title was also included in the lists of the best translated works of the year.
