East Meets West at Fourth of July Festivities

of

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 1, 2016) University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI) and the Japanese/American Society of Kentucky (JASK) will team up together to participate in Lexington's parade for Independence Day. The groups will join in the celebration of the nation's founding beginning 2 p.m. Monday, July 4, in downtown Lexington.

UKCI and JASK will have community volunteers dressed in Chinese and Japanese traditional costumes taking part in the July Fourth festivities. The group's entry in the parade will include a giant panda balloon, taiko drummers, lions, a dragon dance and a Kung Fu demonstration executed by a group of UK Chinese students. This is the first year UK Confucius Institute has participated in the parade.

“It is also the first time that UKCI and JASK are working together to bring East Asia to Lexington and Kentucky,” said Huajing Maske, director of UKCI and executive director of the Office of China Initiatives.

As part of their participation in Independence Day festivities, UKCI and JASK will also promote Lexington's upcoming Chinese Summer Festival/Japan Summer Festival on Sept. 24, which will include cultural activities, workshops, main stage performances, and local Japanese and Chinese restaurants preparing food, as well as Japanese and Chinese drumming performances at the Singletary Center for the Arts.

A gateway for Chinese language, culture and art to the people of Kentucky, UKCI provides leadership, support and coordination for Chinese language and programs in K-12 schools as well as on UK's campus; assists and facilitates establishing and maintaining faculty and student exchanges between UK colleges and Chinese universities; conducts Chinese language and cultural exchange; and promotes education about China on campus, across the Bluegrass region, and throughout the Commonwealth. To keep up with UK Confucius Institute and future events, join the institute's listerv and follow them on FacebookTwitter and Snapchat (UKConfucius). 

Established in 1987, JASK is dedicated to sustaining a favorable business and community relationship between Japan and Kentucky by promoting cooperation and mutual understanding. The organization organizes a variety of business, cultural, educational and social programs, as well as provides relevant information for businesses, professionals, schools, families and others. Through these activities, JASK also facilitates social and business networking within the Japan/America community in Kentucky.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu