On 29th October, NCI Ningbo organized the Chongyang Festival (also called Double Ninth Festival) with Residential College and Vis-à-Vis jointly. The activity covered a series sessions including master acknowledgement ceremony (拜师礼), living in China experience sharing, and sightseeing in Xiao Pu Tuo. More than 40 international students and teachers’ representatives participated in the event.

As the teacher’s representative, Prof. Geoff Hall, the Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Science was dressed up in Han Dynasty costume.

After a short speech to encourage our international students, Prof Hall saluted to the Confucius by serving water, wine, fruits, flower, cakes and pastries. Then the student representative Tiffany Chen did "Three kneeling & nine head knocking"  to show respect to the teachers and lecturers. Prof Hall gently flapped student with ruler to remind them to create a better life and to benefit the society with knowledge they learnt from the university. He also wished students to overcome difficulties and progress step by step just like the joints on the bamboo branch. Finally Prof Hall used a stick to warn students to always behave properly and modestly.

In return, student representative Tiffany Chen offered tea to Prof Hall showing her thanks and respect to the teachers and lecturers. 

 The last part of the ceremony was to write Chinese character with brush. Human (Ren), was the character being practiced as to be a good person ranked the first of everything.

In the afternoon, all the participants visited Xiao Pu Tuo, a place of history, Buddhist culture and beautiful scenery.