The Hidalgo Square in Mexico City was filled with people on Saturday as they were eager to watch Chinese culture performances at the opening of the Chinese Cultural Festival Autumn 2010.

The Chinese Cultural Festival Autumn 2010 is held in the Hidalgo Square in Mexico City on Oct. 9.

The event began with lion and dragon dances performed by young Mexicans.

Mexican children and adolescents attending Chinese language and culture courses in local Confucius Institutes entertained the audience with Chinese ethnic dances, martial arts, a show of Chinese traditional costumes and poetry readings.

Hector Martinez, an eight-year-old boy who began studying Chinese a year ago, participated in the performance of tongue twisters in Chinese.

"I said a tongue twister in Chinese. At the beginning it was hard for me to memorize, but step by step, I achieved the goal and I did it fine," he said.

Luisa Hernandez, a 22-year-old university student who studied Chinese in Confucius Institute in her spare time, had a deep love for Chinese music and dance.

"The Chinese music and dance are beautiful. The dance is light, just like flying. I like participating in these festivals, because we can tell Mexicans what the Chinese culture is," she said.

Excellent performances attracted camera flashes from the audience.

Victoria Ho, a 13-year-old Chinese language student, said: "It is funny to enjoy the festival. It is exciting to enjoy the show which seems far from the Mexican life."

At the opening ceremony, cultural councilor at the Chinese embassy in Mexico, Zheng Kejun, stressed the friendship and cultural ties between the two countries.

"It is good to hold these kinds of activities, because we can strengthen the ties between China and Mexico. It is also a good chance to show the traditions of the Chinese people to Mexicans," Zheng said.

According to Zheng, the city halls of Mexico City and Beijing have signed a series of agreements on cultural exchanges this year.

Zhou Lingyan, president of the Huaxia Confucius Institute in Mexico City, which is the first Confucius Institute in Latin America, told Xinhua that Mexicans from all walks of life came to her institute to study Chinese, from children who attend Chinese lessons on weekends to businessmen who have cooperation with Chinese companies.

According to Zhou, there are 1,500 Mexican students at Huaxia Confucius Institute.

In some Mexican elementary schools, Chinese is a compulsory foreign language lesson for the pupils.

"The Mexicans are curious about the Chinese culture and they have passion," she said.

The Confucius Institute program was designed by the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language to promote Chinese teaching worldwide and provide excellent teachers and learning materials for overseas Chinese learners.

There are five Confucius institutes in Mexico, with two of them located in the capital city.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2010)