Celebration of the United Nations International Chinese Language Day

Established by the United Nations in 2010, International Chinese Language Day aims to celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity. The date was chosen to coincide with Guyu, one of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, in commemoration of Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters.

To celebrate International Chinese Language Day, a special public lecture and the 58th Confucius PhD Forum was successfully held on 24 April 2025 by UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies. The event featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Mieke Matthyssen from the Department of Chinese Studies at Ghent University, Belgium. Entitled Knowing, Changing, Resisting, and Submitting to Ming 命: Evolving Narratives of Fate Amid Socio-Economic Shifts in Contemporary China, the talk attracted nearly 100 participants—including students, scholars, and Chinese culture enthusiasts—both online and in person.

In her lecture, Dr. Matthyssen delved into the philosophical dimensions of the core Chinese cultural concept of ming (命), analyzing its multifaceted meanings across Confucian thought, folk beliefs, and contemporary Chinese society. Drawing upon classical idioms and modern case studies, she highlighted how ming reflects a dynamic tension between reverence for the mandate of heaven and belief in human agency—a tension that has become increasingly pronounced in the era of globalization.

Through a review of China’s major socioeconomic shifts over the past five decades, Dr. Matthyssen examined how changing narratives of fate have shaped and been shaped by collective and individual experiences. Her analysis offered new perspectives on how evolving concepts of ming have influenced Chinese attitudes toward personal agency, societal development, and historical transformation.

The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, during which both in-person and virtual attendees engaged actively with the speaker.

As a key component of UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies and Confucius Institute’s International Chinese Language Day celebrations, the lecture aimed to enhance mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilisations through high-level academic exchange. At the close of the event, Professor Liming Wang, Director of the UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, presented Dr. Matthyssen with a certificate of honour and a commemorative gift in appreciation of her insightful contribution.