On September 10, Ambassador Zhao Xiyuan visited Belvedere College SJ and attended a ceremony to present books to the school. Principal Mr. Gerry Foley, Vice Principal Mr. Tom Doyle, student representatives, Counsellor Liu Yan and the Director of the Confucius Institute at University College Dublin, among others, attended the event.

Ambassador Zhao toured the school facilities and visited the Confucius Classroom, where he engaged in friendly exchanges with students. He encouraged the students to study the Chinese language and culture diligently and expressed the hope that they would make a positive contribution to China-Ireland friendship and cooperation. He also shared his experience of reading James Joyce’s Dubliners, noting that it is only by visiting a country in person that one can truly appreciate the profound expressions conveyed through its literature.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Zhao inspired the students to use books as a bridge to deepen their study of Chinese and take the initiative to learn about and explore China.

Belvedere College SJ Established in 1832. In 2011, the Confucius Institute at University College Dublin established a Confucius Classroom at the school.